Dragonball Z meets Sly Cooper
by AlphaDelta1001
Summary: With the Klaww gang defeated, the Cooper gang was broken. But when Gohan finds out about the Cooper vault, he and his friends set off on a quest to assemble a larger gang, and break into the vault, not knowing what will happen next! DISCONTINUED
1. Alternative Path

DRAGONBALL Z **meets _Sly Cooper_**

Alternative path

The birth of Son Gohan to Goku and Chi-Chi was like a blessing to the Z-gang. Both Goku and Chi-Chi were overjoyed and were highly amazed at how much Gohan was like them. He had his father's looks, strength and appearance while his eyes bore the same glow like his mother's. A mixture of both parent's personalities was also running through Gohan's veins.

But one thing was certain about Gohan that proved he was definitely the son of Goku, he loved to fight, and that wasn't from a glance, it was from instinct. Well, he was more like his father then he was his mother since he ate just as much as Goku.

Following the birth of Gohan, the whole Son family lived peacefully and after their son's first year, Goku immediately threw him into training while Chi-Chi pitched in with her share of the family load by forcing Gohan into studying. Though the work Gohan was put under was unbalanced at first and the child could barely form a word in his mouth, the child was soon able to balance both his martial arts training with his father and studying under his mother's watchful eyes.

Because of the martial arts his father taught him, Gohan grew stronger, more focused and more confident while the studying Chi-Chi subject him to helped him in both his knowledge and speech. When Gohan hit the age of two, he was able to form complex sentences and speak like a teenager. By the age of three, he was reading and solving equations and questions at a grade six level.

When Gohan was four years old, the chibi Saiyan had developed well and succeeded in all aspects of his life so far. He even had hopes and dreams for the future. Though his mother disapproved, Gohan always wanted to be like his father, kind towards others, naïve in many ways and carry the passion, will and skill to be the strongest fighter in the world.

Gohan's dreams however were to come sooner then he thought but were screwed up in reverse as a person from his father's past came back that would forever change his future life. His life, family and friends were all but shattered after that.

Radditz, Goku's brother came to earth and confronted the bewildered group of Z-fighters on Kami island. The mercenary explained why he was here and what Goku really was: a Saiyan born on planet Vegeta, a planet that used to be home to one of the most powerful races in the universe but had long ago been destroyed by a tyrant called Frieza.

Radditz also proclaimed that he was here to finish the mission Goku had not even commenced when he was sent here, but the valiant hero was having none of it. In one swift movement, Goku attacked the alien invader however was beaten easily by the stronger fighter and during the chaos, Gohan was kidnapped.

Goku later teamed up with his old rival Piccolo and together, the pair flew off to defeat Radditz and rescue Gohan. By the time they arrived at Radditz's landing point, he had already thrown Gohan into his ship, using the pod as a prison cell for the half breed.

With both Goku and Piccolo lightened up and ready to fight, they both took their stands. The line had been drawn, and there was no turning back. Well, they didn't have a choice in the matter when they discovered to their horror that Radditz was far stronger then they even realized as the mercenary powered up to his maximum and attacked. Radditz's assault soon turned into a merciless rampage as he cut down both fighters in a few seconds flat.

A failed attempt from Piccolo's Special Beam cannon lead up to his initial death at the hands of Radditz and soon enough, the mercenary was crushing Goku beneath his feet, the sounds of his brother's cries being music to his ears. It was what Saiyan's were, ruthless and cruel.

Radditz's victory was to be short lived however as Gohan, fueled by rage at his father's suffering burst out of the ship holding him prisoner. Radditz, shocked at Gohan's sudden outburst didn't have time to act or the courage to defend himself when his nephew charged at him, a the same time unleashing his full potential and strength that was lying dormant in him ever since he was born.

Gohan's latent abilities proved to be far too much for Radditz to stomach when Gohan, blinded by his rage head butted Radditz hard in the chest. But instead of bouncing off, Gohan's unbelievable level of power actually sent the young Saiyan straight through Radditz, creating a huge gaping hole in the mercenary's chest and armor, thus ending his rain of terror right then and there.

Goku's death came soon after as the damage he had suffered from the fight with his older brother killed him and Gohan fainted from exhaustion at releasing his latent abilities, forming the Mystic state you see him use today.

Goku's friends arrived later to find a barren and destroyed battle zone including three dead bodies and one unconscious Gohan. With Piccolo dead and Kami as well because of their connection, it meant that there was no possible way to wish back Goku. Chi-Chi and the others were devastated.

The Z-fighters tried to gather up after the fight but because of everything that had happened during the fight, it was hard. Then, everything the Z-fighters had hoped to build or had collapsed around them.

It started off with Chi-Chi's death a couple of weeks later. She was so hard broken at the loss of her husband that she had ironically lost the will to live. It was after her death that the Z-fighters broke up their band and went their separate ways. But what was to become of young Gohan?

None of the other Z-fighters were able to take him in mostly because they didn't have good parenting instincts or skills and neither had any room to take care of him, even Bulma. So, in a startling decision, they sent Gohan to an orphanage. Gohan's life had just made a sudden turn down a different and unknown path.

But it was there where it all started…

…the beginning of Gohan's life right there at the orphanage…

TO BE CONTINUED…


	2. Making Friends

DRAGONBALL Z **meets _Sly Cooper_**

Making Friends

_**Four years later…**_

_**Orphanage bunk room…**_

Gohan sighed miserably for the 50th time today and looked up, seeing dozens of other kids running around in pairs, groups or playing games with other members of the 'orphan troops' or so they called themselves. Their shouting and absolute bickering echoed around the entire one room, making normal conversation completely impossible.

The room was quite big and housed at least 20 beds for twenty orphans, even though there were only sixteen orphans, all of different ages. The room was rather old-fashioned and looked like it hadn't had a paint job in years. The walls which used to be white were light brown in color from slowly deteriorating material and partly from catching dust. The floor boards were equally dusty and were cracking from age. The beds had metal frames and were built in a basic design. However, the mattresses, pillows and blankets were all right. At least they thought about a children's well being before hand.

There was only one large window in the back of the room and a rickety, wooden door that led out onto a balcony overlooking the playground outside. Though the room and the orphanage itself wasn't as classy as it seemed and was quite run down, but it was still an acceptable piece in the entire neighborhood.

It was inside time for the orphans after a few hours outside on the playground supplied to them by the orphanage and Gohan was as bored and as miserable as ever. Here he was… sitting on his rickety old bed with whatever possessions he had neatly stacked on the drawers beside him and/or under his bed and watching the other orphans running around and having fun.

Ever since Gohan got to the orphanage he was always considered as a loner, a weirdo and a nerd. Maybe it was because of the knowledge and skills he had used in the past few weeks of him being here. So he was pinned up on the wall as the odd one out. But he didn't think it was fair because it was how he was raised before his parents died and his friends and other family abandoned him in this run down place.

He just had to learn how to get used to it.

Heck, he had already gotten over his parents' deaths and was just adjusting to the losses.

Today, Gohan wore his white singlet, green gi trousers and black martial arts shoes with blue leg weights, the uniform he wore under the outfit he wore when he was trapped in Radditz's ship. It was one of the only sets of clothes he had including a smaller version of his dad's gi, a symbolic martial arts traditional outfit and a martial arts gi he had made himself using his ki.

Gohan continued to sit on his own where he was, forced to listen and watch the other kids having fun while they all avoided him at the same time. But after a while of just sitting around, he suddenly felt a vaguely strange presence approach him from in front of him, a animal like shadow appearing at his feet. Because Gohan was looking down at the ground he was able to see the shadow and followed it to its source.

To Gohan's surprise, the shadow was attached to a boy Raccoon. It was highly common to find all species related to humanoids and because animals fell under the category of earthlings, it was understandable that their line of development relates to that of a human.

The boy standing in front of Gohan had to be no more then four years old, Gohan's age. He wore a blue, long sleeved shirt with yellow cuffs, grey trousers, blue, thin boots, a blue sailor's like hat, a black eye mask and the boy also had some sort of cane strapped onto his back with a yellow, hook at the top end of the cane. To add to it, he was a raccoon with a ringed, bushy tail waving behind him and had brown eyes that Gohan suspected were well accustomed to all sorts of light, including dark.

The two stared at each other for a moment, blinking a few times as they stared. Apparently, ring tail had seen Gohan sitting silently by himself and wanted to see what was wrong. Gohan on the other hand hadn't noticed him before, he hadn't even sensed him approach.

After a few seconds, the raccoon boy in front of Gohan smiled and tilted his head to the side in interest. "Hello."

"Hello", Gohan replied kindly in return, though still having a hint mixture of curiosity and surprise in his voice as he stared up at the boy in front of him. There was no doubt that both he and this raccoon boy were exactly the same height.

"Are you OK", asked the boy. Gohan blinked in surprise and shrugged.

"I guess, just a little bored and lonely. No one wants to talk to me or even come near me", replied Gohan sulkily. The raccoon smiled and shrugged.

"Why so?" Gohan stared at him as if he were stupid or something. Hadn't he noticed?

Sighing in annoyance, Gohan decided to show this boy why and unwrapped his tail from around his waste. His brown, monkey appendage waved up at his neck height, the young Saiyan allowing it to wave a few times so to catch this boy's attention.

The raccoon followed the tail to complete view, his eyes going wide slightly in surprise at the sight. It was apparent he had never seen a human with a monkey tail before even though there were plenty of monkey people and other breeds of earthlings but a human monkey crossbreed was rather rare. That is if it were possible.

Seeing that he had seen enough of it, Gohan lowered his tail and wrapped it back around his waste. He had trained himself to use his tail so that if any of the kids in the orphanage tried to grab it to paralyze him as a joke like they did when he first arrived here, he could get them back by not getting paralyzed by a grip and slapping them a few times across the face with his tail before they fell over unconscious with swirly eyes and red cheeks.

"That's why. Everyone thinks I'm weird and because I'm smarter then most people, everyone stays away from me. It used to be much worse a few years ago. Weird huh", replied Gohan, sulking at the memories of being picked on before the time he reacted on his Saiyan instincts and put one of the older kids in hospital when they grabbed his already stronger tail as a joke when he was five.

The boy in front of him stared at the tail for a few moments but smiled shortly after and turned back to face Gohan. "I don't think it's weird… I think it's cool. How did you get it", asked the boy enthusiastically. Gohan blinked in surprise. No one had said that before. He was actually for once growing fonder of the boy as they went along.

"Well, I was born with it. It was a trait belonging to my father and my race. I'm actually a half breed. Half human half Saiyan", replied Gohan. The boy looked puzzled.

"Half Saiyan? What's a Saiyan?" Gohan shrugged.

"I'm not quite sure. I don't really no as much. All I know is that a Saiyan is warrior race from another planet. They were like humans and bore a really good resemblance but they only had a few things different from humans. They all had these tails", said Gohan, gesturing to the monkey appendage wrapped around his waste. "They also are really strong, are all born with the same hair they have throughout their lives and they all love to fight."

The boy looked interested and sat down on the bed beside Gohan's but still facing the young half Saiyan. "Wow, sounds intense. So… who's side was a Saiyan on your family?" Gohan smiled.

"My father was a Saiyan and my mother is a human. They were both fighters though, not just my dad and got married at some tournament", replied Gohan. The boy smiled in return.

"OK. But what happened to your parents. How did you end up here?" Gohan flinched at this and looked away sadly. The raccoon boy immediately regretted asking the question at the change in Gohan's expression and mood.

"My… dad died fighting my uncle who kidnapped me and my mother died a few weeks later. They left me in the care of their friends but they couldn't find a place for me and left me here. That was four years ago", said Gohan sadly, his eyes brimming with tears. Those memories were still fresh in his mind and whenever he thought about it, it always brought him pain, effecting his other emotions in the process.

The boy across from him looked at his feet in disappointment as well. "I know how it is and how you feel. I lost both my parents to. They were both killed by five strangers that turned up at my house." Gohan looked up in surprise, his eyes still brimming with tears but he wasn't upset. He was rather caught off guard by this and listened in. Perhaps he and this boy had something in common after all.

The raccoon boy looked up at Gohan, tears also in his eyes. "It happened a few days ago. The five that barged into our house demanded the book my ancestors have been handing down for centuries. My parents refused them and when they did, they killed them and took the book. My father hid me in the cupboard so I was safe. I wanted to go and save him but my father's voice inside my head told me better, so I was forced to watch my parents die at their hands."

Gohan stared in shock. This boy who was talking to him reminded Gohan a lot about himself. They both had their parents lost at the hands of a person who wanted to hurt them and their family. Two orphans under the same roof with similar losses.

The boy wiped the tears from his eyes at the same time Gohan blinked his away. "They left afterwards, leaving me alone. I soon found myself here, and… I guess that's that."

Gohan nodded but was internally confused. "But, why did they kill your parents and steal your book in the first place. I mean, shouldn't they have the motive", asked Gohan. The boy looked at Gohan uncertainly for a moment and, after looking around a couple of times, leaned in closer. Gohan leaned in as well.

"Do you think you can… keep a secret?"

Gohan nodded. "I will if you will keep mine", replied Gohan with a smile. The boy grinned in return.

"Deal! Anyway, my family comes from a long line of thieves. My heritage line is called the Cooper Clan and have been known as the greatest thieves of all time", whispered the boy. Gohan looked really interested now. Perhaps there was more to him then meets the eye. "My very first ancestors created the book called the Thievius Raccoonus and ever since then, it has been passed on from generation to generation. The book contains my entire family's legacy and history, including every trick in the master thief's book."

Gohan nodded. "I understand why anyone would want the book but how did they find out, how did they know where you and your parents lived?" The boy shrugged while linking his hands together with his fingers while his eyes cast downwards.

"I don't know. There was no way they could have known." The boy looked up again with a more determined look on his face. "But I'm going to find out whom and avenge my father's death and write my own legacy into the Thievius Raccoonus… if I ever get it back."

Gohan smiled and nodded. "Well, good luck. I hope you'll find your targets soon enough." The boy nodded.

"I hope I do", replied the boy. "By the way, my name is Sly… Sly Cooper", continued the boy, holding out his hand to Gohan. Gohan saw his hand and smiled, reaching out and grasped it in a firm handshake.

"Nice to meet you Sly, I'm Gohan… Gohan Son."

Sly smiled at this and nodded kindly. "It's nice to meet you to Gohan."

* * *

It was perhaps one of the happiest days of Gohan's life. After years of being bullied and left out in this place, Gohan had finally found someone who understood, listened and respected him and whom he showed the same kindness and respect too. Though it was an odd pair, the two soon became the best of friends and spent all their free time together, talking, chasing each other around and sharing each others skills and abilities with one another. Hard to believe it, they were both the same age.

After a few weeks, Gohan found that his personality was coming back to him. His happy, kind, go lucky and naïve ways have all started flooding back into him and all memory of his past was all but forgotten.

Gohan had learnt a lot about Sly and Sly learnt quite a bit about Gohan even though their lives had been short; they still had a lot to talk about. But soon, their harmless play turned more mischievous as they plotted ways of pranking other orphans and learning the ways of pick-pocketing and a little false trading. It was somewhere around those categories they focused their playing around on where the orphans, janitors and councilors were their targets.

Whenever a sneaky plot and plan was undertaken, things go missing within seconds. By the time their victims realized what had happened to their stuff, they were all over the place looking for their lost valuables. It all turned up in the end though with a sniggering Sly and Gohan in the background.

They had so much fun together and both grew a strong bond together. They knew all about each other except predicting the other's moves, it always changed whenever they were chasing each other or play fighting or, in Gohan's words, sparring.

Sly was quite surprised at the amount of food Gohan ate but the chibi explained how he needed all the food to give him energy for his unbelievable strength which he had also showed Sly during their free time. Sly knew soon after that he stood no chance in any of Gohan's spars but he knew that he had a good advantage in sneaking and stealing via stealth mode. Gohan found to his shock that he couldn't even track Sly's movements, let alone sense him. Sly had learnt how to hide his ki well even though he didn't know what it was.

They had a lot to learn about each other and not just Sly learning how Gohan could fly and fire these weird energy blasts. They still respected each other's talents and together, both of them were troublesome.

Gohan thought his life couldn't get any better. But he soon found out that it would.

* * *

_**Six weeks later…**_

Gohan and Sly were walking around the playground and exchanging jokes they had picked up from here and there, ignoring the other kids running around when their ears perked up to the some other, uncommon noises.

Looking away from each other both Gohan and Sly turned towards the source of the noises that apparently was coming from a bunch of kids hanging around the sand box. Gohan was able to see that a couple of the kids were some of the kids who had picked on him a few years back and the sight made him scowl. Something was up and he didn't like it.

Turning to Sly who had the same expression of seriousness on his face, Gohan gestured towards the groups of orphans circling the sand box. "Want to go check it out?"

Sly nodded in agreement. "Sure."

Both at a verdict, they changed present course and headed towards the sand box, both of them clenching their fists and preparing for the unexpected.

When they reached the sand box they pushed their way to the centre to find two of the older bully's of the orphanage, Bill and Tim kicking sand and hitting another orphan who was cowering in the centre of the sand box, unable to defend himself. Bill was a tall, buff looking kid wearing a red baseball cap, a blue and white basketball shirt and blue shorts while Tim was at an equal height but not at equal size. Tim wore a green T-shirt, had black hair and wore dark blue shorts.

"How do you like this nerd", said Billy mockingly, stomping his foot into the orphan's back.

"Not so smart now coming out into the sunshine. Don't want your green skin to bleach!" continued Tim while kicking sand into the orphans face.

Both bully's were known throughout the entire orphanage and were quite feared. It was no surprise; their methods of bullying were completely unsporting like and cruel. The sight infuriated both Gohan and Sly, making them scowl. Whoever it was, they had to help him.

Gohan was the first to react and stepped forward from the crowd surrounding the sand box. Gohan's stepping up to the plate surprised all the orphans who were their and as they watched Gohan approach they saw the young Saiyan tap the two foot taller Billy on the shoulder.

Billy wheeled around to see who it was, fist ready to strike but when he saw Gohan glaring up at him with Sly standing beside him, he jumped in surprise and fear and backed off. That move proved to be his mistake as the boy he was currently beating up was still huddled on the ground at his feet. That back step caused Billy to trip over the orphan, the bully tripping over with a yelp of surprise.

The orphans around Billy laughed at the sight while Sly chuckled, giving Gohan a nudge with his elbow and a smile. Gohan smiled in return.

"Nice going Gohan."

"Thanks." Gohan turned back to Billy and glared, his eyes flashing turquoise from his rising ki. Billy saw this and scrambled back to his feet, sweat running down from his forehead. Tim followed suite and both started backing away.

"G-Gohan. Hi", stammered Tim.

"Yes… i-it's good to s-see you… uhh…" Both orphanage bullies were speechless and terrified of Gohan and the young Saiyan knew exactly why.

"RUN!" screamed Billy all of a sudden. And that's what they did, they ran. They clearly remembered the time they tried to pick on Gohan when the chibi was in a bad mood but they didn't know and they both ironically got their own butts kicked around. They were only saved by the caretaker who was fortunately for them hanging around the playground at the time, causing Gohan to stop, but only hesitantly.

Sly and Gohan laughed loudly along with the other orphans as they watched Billy and Tim dash up the steps and back inside into the orphanage main building. The laughter carried on for a few seconds before it began to quiet down and the orphans started breaking up and going to their separate places in their groups and with their friends.

Remembering why they had intervened, Gohan and Sly stepped into the sand box and stood around the orphan Billy and Tim were beating up. They immediately knew who it was as the turtle kid who had been here since he was an egg. The boy was known for his nerdy appearance and knowledge of computers, math, and science and all but he was rarely bothered since he spent most of his time under his bed reading and studying with books under the candlelight.

Gohan knelt down and laid a hand over the boy's shell and patted it. "Hey, are you OK", asked Gohan with concern. Sly did the same by looking under to the boy's head and face to see if he could identify any serious wounds or injuries.

"Its OK, we're not going to hurt you. Billy and Tim are gone, you can come out", said Sly.

The reassurance seemed to have done the trick and slowly, the turtle boy emerged from his shell, his head peeking out along with all his limbs and small tail. All in all, he was perfectly fine.

The boy looked up at Gohan and Sly, looking at both their faces and seeing whether they were friend or foe. While the boy was looking at them Gohan took his time to study his appearance.

This boy wasn't human but he was an earthling. He was a turtle actually. He stood on both legs like a human just like Sly and him and was green all over, including his underbelly and top. But what made him look seemingly nerdy was the extra clothes he wore. He wore a white collar with a bow tie and thick glasses that hid his eyes completely. He didn't look all that tough and Gohan could tell that he hadn't been going outside lately. After seeing what was happening, it was to no surprise.

Sly smiled and stood up, offering a hand to the boy. The turtle, still flat on his back stared at Sly's hand in worry for a moment but then reached up and grasped Sly's hand, allowing him to be pulled to his feet with the help of Gohan.

"Thank you very much", said the turtle boy as he was lifted to his feet, dusting himself down and straightening his glasses. "I thought I was a goner." Gohan and Sly smiled down at him. Even on his feet the guy wasn't as tall as they had expected.

"Hey no sweat", said Sly.

"Yeah, there's no need to thank us, it's all in a day's work for us", said Gohan. The turtle looked between the two and smiled brightly.

"Well, thank you anyway. By the way, my name is Bentley", said the turtle. Gohan nodded while grasping Bentley's hand in a firm handshake.

"Nice to meet you Bentley, I'm Gohan. And this is my best friend Sly", replied Gohan, releasing Bentley's hand and gesturing to Sly beside him. The raccoon smiled and gave the same firm handshake Gohan had done.

"Nice to meet you Gohan and Sly", replied Bentley, releasing Sly's hand and giving them another one of his smiles. "You know, its not everyday someone saves you from a ruthless beating."

Sly shrugged. "Well, all you have to do is hope. But it's good to have some friends watching out for you", Sly replied suggestively. Gohan nodded in agreement as well as Bentley.

"Yes it is. Well, I have to head off inside. I have some math books I need to study up on for the next test coming up for us. Do you want to join me", asked Bentley. Gohan and Sly looked at each other, stared for a moment as if trying to decode each other's thoughts and nodded, turning to smile down at the eager looking turtle.

"Sure, sounds good", said Gohan.

"Yeah It's nice to do something different for a change", replied Sly with a smile. Bentley was overjoyed.

"OK, come on", cheered Bentley before taking off for the towering building standing before them. Gohan and Sly had to chuckle at the turtle's enthusiasm to math, but hey, they understood his motives. He really wasn't the type to go outside anyway and mostly stuck to theory work.

The pair sprinted after Bentley and followed him up to the sleeping areas. They were surprised though at hoe fast Bentley was, despite being a turtle. Maybe it was from all the running he did when trying to get away from the bully's here, they weren't sure. But if it was the case, then it was quite an amaing discovery.

* * *

They had only just met Bentley and shortly afterwards the pair of troublemakers became best friends with the turtle. Much to Gohan's delight, he finally had a gang he could hang around with, not to mention make up more complex plans thanks to Bentley's intelligence. 

Bentley was the smartest kid Gohan had ever met; he was even surprised Bentley had his own stash of books under his bed along with many other books he had managed to get here and there.

The three of them shortly afterwards formed their own organization or gang if you will, called the Cooper gang. It was fun to fool around, but it was much more fun when they're planning to swipe some cookies from the greedy janitor. If it weren't for Bentley's expertise, they wouldn't have gotten away with it.

The three of them went just about everywhere with each other and stayed up late cooking up more plans to swipe valuables from the other orphans that they kept to themselves and being rather selfish. They returned whatever they stole though in the end since they were in an orphanage where there weren't much stuff for them and weren't considered very valuable.

Bentley also helped Sly and Gohan in some of the tests they had, even though they rarely needed it but it was worth while to pick up on some of the more important things every once in a while. They had fun anyway and caused as much trouble as ever, all of them becoming more enthusiastic each time they committed petty to major thefts.

* * *

_**Two weeks later…**_

Gohan, Sly and Bentley were, for the 15th time today playing cards and were putting in real bets. All three of them were basically even but Bentley was actually the professional one at playing poker. He was exceptionally good and was trying out his new card shuffle trick. Gohan and Sly were impressed at Bentley's strategy's and intelligence. It was like Bentley knew exactly what card was gonna come next.

Sly's expertise at this game was based on his slips. He could sneak a card out, in and out of his sleeve easily and gained an upper hand in many of the games. Gohan of course, used these games to test his mental and probability skills. By using his powerful intellect, he was able to hide his expressions, keep a blank face and, on more common occasions, sense what cards the others had in their hands. That worked just as well as his ability to read Sly and Bentley's minds but he was easing up on it and letting them take the winnings.

They were all betting the valuables they had stolen and decided to keep such as watches, silver kitchen utensils, trophies of all sorts and, more commonly, money! It was always fun to trade and bet, especially share things among their troop.

Their game went on unnoticed and uncared by the other orphans who were busy playing their own games and trading quiet talk. The bedroom was quieter then usual and because of the silence, the Cooper gang used the time this time to play a silent game.

Bentley grinned and threw down his hand of five cards. "Full house, Ace's over tens!"

Sly and Gohan groaned and three down their hands. They both had two pairs and because of it, didn't take their chances with Bentley's super hands. They were lucky they kept their most valuable prizes in their stock piles beside them.

"You win again, I can't believe it", groaned Sly. Gohan sighed and rested his cheek on his hand, straddling it on his knee in disappointment.

"How do you do it Bentley?" asked Gohan. Bentley sniggered and claimed his winnings, pulling them towards him.

"Can't say… trade family secret."

Gohan and Sly looked at each other then looked back at Bentley, obviously confused. "I thought you didn't have a family", said Sly. Bentley grinned and touched his nose with his index finger.

"Exactly."

Gohan chuckled and gathered up the cards, shuffling it and handing out five to all the players. "OK, come on, another round. I'm sure to win this time."

The gang continued playing with an even amount of winnings spreading throughout the three of them. It was during their 19th round that they were joined by an unfamiliar presence and were distracted for a moment by a shadow casting over them, blocking their light, as well as their cards.

All three of them looked up towards the source of the shadow and were surprised to see one of the newer orphans standing over them. Of course, he wasn't one of the everyday run of the mill orphans as it was a boy hippo staring back at them.

This new orphan had pink skin in color, was flat but undoubtedly strong and wore a light blue shirt and a white, paratrooper scarf. Though he did look tough from physical appearance, he looked much more innocent when you glanced at his face. Well what do you expect from a 8 year old.

The three stared up at the hippo in surprise for a few seconds, the silence egging on sort of disturbingly, but before long, the new orphan spoke.

"Hey there, playing cards?"

The three circled around the betting loot blinked at each other then looked back up at the hippo, smiles appearing on their faces as they nodded.

"Sure are", said Sly.

The boy blinked and smiled. "Gee… looks fun. Can I play", he asked. Gohan smiled more brightly and nodded.

"Sure, do you know how to play", asked the half Saiyan. Gohan's sudden voice up was a bit surprising but both Sly and Bentley approved with the matter on the floor.

The new boy nodded as he sat down between Bentley and Gohan. "Yeah, I know how. Thanks. By the way, my name is Murray."

Sly nodded to him. "Nice to meet you Murray, I'm Sly and these are my friends. Gohan and Bentley", said Sly, pointing to both Gohan and Bentley who waved to Murray and said a cheerful 'hello' at the same time. Murray nodded to all of them and turned back to Sly.

"So, what kind of card game are you playing?"

Bentley came into his view and held up his five cards. "We're playing five card stud draw. It's just the basic game. However we're betting stuff in this game. Do you have anything on your hands of approving value?" asked Bentley curiously. Murray nodded and pulled out from behind him a handful of coins and a few kitchen utensils. The three were surprised at the load he carried, having failed to notice the stuff on his hands in the first place.

Murray grinned. "I've been saving up the pennies. However the utensils I accidentally forgot to return to the kitchen."

Gohan smiled. "Well that's good enough for us, right guys!"

"Absolutely", said Sly.

"Definitely", replied Bentley.

Excited at having a newcomer to their ring of three, the group played again and again for hours on end. All goods were traded and exchanged between all of them. Sly, Gohan and Bentley were surprised that Murray was such a good gambler and was an expert on probability.

The game went on through the rest of the day and by the time it was time to turn into bed, Gohan and the rest of the gang had found a new friend and forth member to their ring of thieves.

To Gohan, Sly, Bentley and Murray were now all the family he needed.

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED… 


	3. The Thievius Raccoonus

DRAGONBALL Z **meets _Sly Cooper_**

THE THIEVIUS RACCOONUS

_**7 Years later…**_

_**Paris, France…**_

_**4:20pm**_

Two Shadowed figures outlined by the glowing moon on the horizon leapt and sped across the rooftops making up one of the quiet suburbs of Paris: the city of lights or what Sly referred it as. But he was on more then just a stroll through the city streets, he was on a heist.

Today was the day he would find out who had killed his parents and, in so doing, locate the missing pages to his family's legacy, the Thievius Raccoonus. It seemed like an easy enough mission, but it wasn't. First things first, they needed the information about their targets… the criminals they were dealing with. With Bentley's help the gang was able to pinpoint the exact whereabouts of the files containing the history and profiles of who they were up against. Guess where it was.

It was locked away in a high pressure safe in the Chief of police's office at the police station. Who would have thought that the five criminals Sly was after had their files in the France? Of all places!

Anyway, what better way is there then going on this heist when accompanied by your favorite half Saiyan.

Now grown up, Gohan was looking more like a man by the second. Wearing his symbolic red and black gi with red belt, red weight bands and black stealth shoes with white soles, he was all set for any mission he was sent on by Bentley and the others. He would have stuck with reconnaissance but he chose the lazier way of doing this. Breaking and entering blindly and get whatever they came for then get out of there post haste.

Sly was as ready as ever since the only outfit he wore was the same tight blue uniform with his family's cane. Gohan had to admit, Sly had a good selection of outfits. No wonder they were so good at breaking, invading and entering before exiting undetected and unsuspected by any of their victims. Besides, the only people they stole from were criminals and whenever they did so they waited for the right opportunity to present itself. First, make up a plan of attack, locate the valuables the criminals they were stealing from had managed to get their hands on, then swipe it when the night is young and the moon is full.

Such a flawless plan, they should be billionaires right now. I mean, how many criminals in the world are there who don't own millions of dollars and live in big mansions thanks to all the illegal deals they make?

Sly and Gohan continued to make their way over the rooftops, taking in the scenery at the same time as focusing on their main objective. The silence was golden added to by the chirping of crickets and the barking of a distant dog. A true setting for a pair of master thieves breaking into a police station. All thoughts of doing this denied every move in the book. Why would a thief want to break into a police station? That's what they were trying to get as far away from as possible.

But not this gang, they were too far into it to get out now.

Doing a flip over a large gap between a five story building and the police station, both Sly and Gohan landed on the roof top of their currently listed objective. Sly had managed to land on an air vent with Gohan landing next to and beneath it. Both had managed to crouch low after their landings, keeping a thief ready stance if they needed to leap away quickly or avoid the tell tail signs of spot lights or flash lights. Thanks to their outfits, they blended in well into the night.

Pulling out his binocucom, Sly took in the layout of their target from the high pillars of pipes and smoke stacks to the windows and air ducts. The readouts of the entire building came into view as Bentley punched in their coordinates and sent it to them from their van. It was amazing what kind of high tech gadgets you can fit on a vehicle that was also used for getting away in and racing.

Sly enhanced his scope on his target while his ears twitched in mischief and a wide grin spread across his lips.

"Great… I've always loved sneaking in the back way", whispered Sly. Gohan smirked at Sly's excitement while pulling out his binocucom so he too could see what Sly was seeing. Just like how Gohan could smell food, Sly could smell a hidden treasure from just a mile away. It was quite amusing when you think about it.

"Hey Bentley, you getting all this", asked Gohan.

"**_I sure am"_** came the turtle's reply through the ear piece Gohan and Sly had slipped in their ears. **_"Judging by the layout of the building, you shouldn't have any trouble breaking in and getting out of there. If you can get me a good view of the safe we are making our way to, I'll be able to hack into its gear system and decode the combination lock for you. It's going to be easy this one since all police stations have basically the same safe they buy from the same exporters. How do you two feel?"_**

"Awesome Bentley, you know how much we love this", replied Sly. Gohan smirked.

"Come on Bentley, don't be so worried. We're alright", said Gohan.

"_**Well… if you say so. Just be careful of the guards and security system's you guys. We don't want to alert the entire city of our presence",** _whispered Bentley, using such low a low volume as if someone could hear them by picking up their transmission. Gohan chuckled and cracked his knuckles, stretching his arms out at the same time.

"Don't worry; I'll deal with the guard. Sly can hack into the safe", said Gohan. Sly grinned while nodding.

"Always the peacemaker", said the sneaky Raccoon.

Suddenly, a small holo-projection of Bentley appeared in both their binocucom's, making them jump in surprise. Perhaps these new binocucom's Bentley gave them were a bit overrated seeing as Sly nearly fell off the air vent he was currently situated on.

The turtle glared at them as he spoke into the microphone sending the transmissions to both Gohan and Sly.

"**_I must warn you guys; this isn't some big criminal organization we're dealing with. It's the law abiding police. One slip up and we'll be classified as the most wanted gang of thieves in all of Europe",_** said Bentley, his voice edged with worry.

Sly smiled and lowered his binocucom while Gohan lowered his. Both of them turned to each other with equal expressions of mischief and pride on their faces.

"That's exactly what we are going for", said Gohan in a whisper so that Bentley couldn't hear them. Unfortunately, he could.

"_**Look I'm serious here Gohan. We don't want that kind of attention from the cops. They already have hung a title over our heads!"** _said Bentley. This added more to the matter instead of helping Bentley in making the two thieves worried because both Gohan and Sly smiled while putting away their binocucom's. Both of them stood up to a standing up posture and placing their hands on their hips. Since Sly was holding his cane in one hand he just laid his cane over his shoulder.

"And I'm glad they do. It knows that the cards we left to both Inspector Fox and Inspector Videl came in handy", said Sly.

Bentley shook his head over at the other end. **_"Oh you guys! You two are such love birds, you know that!"_**

Gohan smirked. "Only when the moon is full and we're thinking of our favorite cop women", replied Gohan, winking up at Sly. Ringtail returned it with his own wink. Their expressions changed to more serious tones after realizing that they were still on a heist.

"OK Bentley, enough chit chat, what have you got for us", asked Sly, placing his finger in his ear to increase the volume tone of Bentley through the ear piece. Gohan didn't need to since his ears were more sensitive then Sly's and he could hear what Bentley was saying perfectly.

"**_Well, according to my thermal read out, there should be a pipe line leading down from the top of the roof you are currently on and is leading down and around the sides. By crossing this small pipe railing, you should be able to use it to access the 5th floor hallway via the open window which I can see from my position_" replied Bentley. _"There are no guards but stay alert. The pipe system is to your right!"_**

Sly nodded with a smile, his eyes casting towards the side of the building to see a thick drain pipe sticking out from over the edge of the building, outlined by the lights of the city extending towards the distant horizon. "Nice work Bentley. See you at the rendezvous point." Sly then removed the finger from his ear and turned to Gohan who was still stationed below him under the vent box. "You take the window, I'll take the pipes and cut through the security beams if there are any, but just to be safe."

Gohan looked up at Sly and nodded. "Right!"

Suddenly, a new voice interrupted the pair through their ear pieces. **_"Hey Sly, Gohan!"_** Gohan and Sly cringed at the frequency of the voice through the ear pieces. It was Murray. **_"Where do you two want me by the time your heist time is up?"_**

Gohan smiled and took out his binocucom. Looking over the side of the building, he saw the police car parking lot stationed directly below. The black and white cars with the off red sirens on their bonnets gleamed in the lights surrounding the parking lot. Because of the lights, they could perfectly well see the exit of the parking lot, their van parked firmly at its entrance.

"Just stay right where you are Murray. Remember our little rendezvous point. Me and Sly will be down there in a few minutes!"

"**_Right"_** replied Murray. **_"Just be careful guys. Whenever I think about you two out on the field, it makes me nervous. We don't want you ending up in custody."_**

Gohan smirked. "Don't worry Murray! As you and the guys already know, breaking out of hand cuffs is like moving my fingers regularly", replied Gohan. Murray was more enthusiastic today then ever.

"_**OK!"**_

"**_Come on guys get moving"_,** came Bentley's voice. **_"We only have 10 minutes till the police start arriving. Get moving and try to blend in!"_**

They didn't need telling twice, crouching low, both Gohan and Sly leapt out of sight and towards their target areas. While Sly went to the right, Gohan went straight forward, sprinting across the roof tops towards the edge of the building.

Gohan continued running across till he reached the edge of the building. At the same time as jumping over the side, he spun around in mid-fall and grasped the gutter built into the side of the buildings. Thanks to his ki manipulative abilities, he was able to lighten his weight and keep the pipe from bending. Now that he was crouched against the building vertical to the ground below while looking into one of the many windows dotting the police station he was now up to phase 2 of their plan.

Sly meanwhile had already reached the pipe and, using his cane, was hanging off of it like it was his lifeline. Sly then began side stepping across the wall, his cane sliding along the pipe easily so it remained with him and supported his movements. Seeing that it was secure, Sly turned towards the side so that his back was no longer facing downwards and, with his cane still hooked onto the pipe, began sprinting along the wall towards his next objective.

A smirk plastered on his face as he ran across the wall. "I bet they'd be teaching this one at the academy!"

A few quick paces was all it took and, after circulating the side, Sly reached the window Gohan was waiting patiently for him at, his hand still gripping the gutter above. Gohan smiled when his friend arrived from around the corner, still hanging onto the pipe line and, now that Sly had finally arrived, it was time to break in.

Balling his fist, Gohan smashed the window and, finding the catch, unlocked the window from the inside and opened it, sliding it upwards. He then made a gentleman like hand gesture and pointed into the hallway.

"After you", said Gohan. Sly shook his head.

"Show off", replied the Raccoon before swinging himself into the building using the gutter above to aid him. Gohan smirked and followed suite. As soon as the two of them were inside and crouching low on the carpeted floor, Bentley's voice appeared in their ear pieces.

"**_OK, now that you're inside, if you turn to your right, you'll find the entrance to the Chief's office"_,** said Bentley. Both Sly and Gohan turned their gazes right to see a wooden door with a window fitted into it. It had **_Chief Inspector Nottingham_** written over the glass and to no surprise to both Sly and Gohan, a golden badge with the common star on it was also pasted onto the door.

"**_The safe should be in there. But the door is security locked and inside there are cameras and laser detectors",_** said Bentley. Gohan turned to Sly who was crouching beside him to his right.

"Hey Sly, I'll go disable the security systems. When the door opens, you can go in", said Gohan. Sly nodded and stood up. Gohan followed suite and placed his finger to his ear. "Bentley, where's the security control room?"

"**_Umm… according to my calculations, the room should be a few doors down the hall. But be careful, there's an alarm attached to the door's opening hatch. There's no way you'll be able to get through there."_ **Gohan smirked.

"No problem. I never liked taking the easy approach anyway", said Gohan.

Turning towards the hallway, he jogged down it, looking at the doors as he went along. It was dark and visibility was quite poor, but thanks to Gohan's Saiyan vision, he could see as clear as day. Once he had passed five doors, he finally reached the door that said **_Security room_** over the front of it. He smiled and shook his head when he saw the red bell alarm fixed to the side of it with a wire leading down from it.

"Amateurs." With a quick flick of the finger, he disconnected the wire between the door and the alarm and, after carefully examining the lay out of the door; he pushed it open, not bothering to use the handle causing the entire frame of the door to detach itself. There were no guards or even lasers in the room making Gohan laugh in amusement.

Jogging across the room towards the computer seated on the desk in front of dozens of video cams, Gohan began typing in the access code to the security systems so he could switch it off. It proved no good so Gohan did what he always did in these situations. Balling his fist, he sent a punch straight into the computer's modem, smashing a gaping hole straight into it and shattering all the components and micro processors inside.

Instantly, the computer's screen shut down as well as all the security systems in the building. However, the cameras were still active and the video screens were still online. Gohan scratched his head and, turning towards the door, walked over to it and peeked out to see Sly still waiting patiently at the Chief's office entrance, arms crossed over his chest and looking around the place, taking in the fascinating structure.

Putting his finger to his ear again he connected himself to Sly's ear piece and spoke.

"Hey Sly, it's going to take me a moment to disable to camera systems, can you wait a few seconds?" Sly heard it and nodded.

"_**Sure, I've always been patient…"**_

Taking that as a yes, Gohan returned to the desk and, using the control board next to the closest T.V screen attempted to access the video system memory. Unfortunately, the cameras were film driven and all the film slots were still in the camera's themselves.

"Stupid, old security cameras. Oh well", sighed Gohan, holding out his hand and sending a small ki blast into the central T.V screen. The ki blast shattered the screen and fried all the internal systems, as well as causing a chain reaction towards the other screens. A small shock wave was created by Gohan's blast, sending a wave of energy over the other surrounding T.V screens and destroying all the TV's in the process.

Gohan sighed and lowered his arm, only to be interrupted by Bentley. **_"Gohan, what happened, what's going on?"_ **The young Saiyan smiled and walked out of the room, finger in his ear again to hold the ear piece closer to his ear passage.

"Just destroying the connection from the cameras to the security room…how much time do we have left?" asked Gohan.

"**_You have six minutes, hurry it up already!"_ **screamed Bentley. Gohan nodded.

"Got it!" lowering his hand he looked over at Sly and gave him the thumbs up. Ringtail took it as an 'OK to go in' sign and turned towards the door. He rather forcefully opened it and quickly leapt into the room, looking around carefully so to be sure there were no guards. The security systems had been turned off, meaning that Gohan had done his job well, and with no obstacles in his way besides cracking open the safe, Sly didn't have anything else to worry about.

Ignoring the paper work flying around and the desks around him, Sly sprinted over to the large safe he saw in the corner of the room. The room was dark like the hallway and from the looks of it, it looked more like an open aired vault then a safe. It was welded up to five layers and was practically impregnable. But with Bentley's help, he would have this safe open in no time. So, kneeling beside it and grasping the dial with his hand, Sly picked at his ear piece and communicated with his intelligent friend whom he complimented on so many occasions, not to mention looked to for good advice and assistance.

"OK Bentley, work your magic!" whispered Sly so that the turtle could hear him.

"**_Alright Sly. It's a three digit combination so don't be alarmed at all the little numbers. The code number is 3-7-1, repeat, 3-7-1",_** said Bentley. Sly nodded and while turning the dial to meet the arrow repeated the numbers Bentley had said to him in a whisper, making sure he got it right. After turning the dial left right and left for all three times while positioning the numbers to the arrow, a loud click was heard followed by the creaking open of the safe door. Sly had to step back slightly so that the safe door could open fully.

Sly grinned at the sight before him. On the middle shelf of the safe lay the entire folder he had been looking for. Grasping his prize in his hand as if it were a valuable diamond, he examined the front cover. It had **_Confidential_** written in big, bold, red letters on the front of it, meaning for no body's eyes except the police's only. It was a real pleasure finding out these sorts of things.

"Ok Murray, I've got it. Wait for us at the rendezvous point, we'll be right there!" said Sly, making sure he could hear Murray's loud reply.

"**_OK Sly, the van is up and running hurry on down and make it fast. I'm getting more nervous by the second! And besides, I'm hungry"_**

Sly nodded with a chuckle and stood up from where he sat, crouched in front of the safe. However, he immediately remembered one important detail to this heist: His calling card!

Reaching over to his back pack, Sly pulled out his symbolic blue raccoon paper cut card and displayed it on the shelf inside the safe. With a smile, he closed the safe and locked it before getting back into a proper standing position. At the same time, the mischievous thief turned towards the door he had entered through to see Gohan walking in with a smile on his face. The young Saiyan nodded to the raccoon when he reached him.

"You got it", asked Gohan. Sly nodded a reply while showing Gohan the folder before shoving it into his red burglars pack slung onto his back.

"Done… and with absolutely no consequences. Lets go", said Sly, gesturing out the window looking out over the police car lot. Gohan nodded and, walking over to the window, pulled it open and stepped away, allowing Sly to gain access to it first. Ringtail did so and leapt out onto the wooden board walk with Gohan on his tail.

Suddenly, just as they were about to clamber down the boardwalks leading to the ground floor five floors below, they were confronted by two very familiar police women, both of which leapt out from behind the air vents on the building beside the police car lot. Inspector Carmelita Montoya Fox accompanied by her partner Inspector Videl Bideru Satan.

Carmelita was a well decorated police officer known for her hard work at chasing down the Cooper gang as well as her main target Sly Cooper himself. She was a fox woman, information that had already been established and was well hot. She wore blue leather tights, blue boots, a blue tube top that showed off a lot of her wonderful body and a brown and leather jacket. Aside from her fox features, she had long, curly blue hair, brown eyes and, as usual, brandished her red and yellow shock pistol that Gohan and Sly had came to admire over the years of being chased by her.

Her partner Inspector Videl on the other hand was just like her, hot headed, well decorated for numerous successes's and bad tempered. Gohan had met her the same day Sly had met Carmelita when they were on the rooftops taking in the sights Paris had to offer. They were caught on a really bad time though when an investigation was being commissioned by the police and Gohan and Sly somehow got caught in the middle of it while looking at a map to find their hotel. That was the first time they met Videl and Carmelita, and what a meeting it was, they had to practically allow themselves to be captured by the riot police guards to meet them. Sly really felt himself attracted towards Carmelita while Gohan found himself falling completely for Videl. Both thieves knew the same effect of love-at-first-sight touched both Videl and Carmelita on that very first meeting too but because of their stubborn and black and white views on things, it was hard to reach their soft sides. But it was always fun to try.

Anyway, Videl was not your average cop. She is perhaps the strongest girl Gohan had ever met, but being several million times stronger then her it was undetermined. Still, it didn't make up for the fact that Videl was strong in mind, body and spirit.

The girl had a great figure Gohan could tell and her outfit rarely changed. She wore a white baggy T-shirt, black bicycle shorts, black, fingerless fighting gloves and her hair was black and long, not to mention done up in unbraided pigtails. To top it off, she had gorgeous blue eyes, making her a sight for soar eyes. She rarely wore her sexy, tight blue police uniform but she sometimes wore it on special or important occasions.

Videl too was armed and dangerous but not just with her strength but with a custom made blaster pistol. It was like a Lugar but with a longer barrel, a visible magazine built in front of the trigger like a Walter and a silencer like cooling unit fitted on the barrel. The weapon proved to be far more powerful then Gohan had expected and, like the shock pistol Carmelita uses, was capable of either stunning opponents or sending anything into oblivion.

Both Gohan and Sly were surprised at the sudden entrance made by Videl and Carmelita but when they realized who they were, they eased up a little. It was always fun toying with the pair.

"Hold it Cooper! Where do you think you're going in such a hurry", said Carmelita loudly in her usual rough and feminine voice so that Sly could hear her from where she was.

Videl aimed her sights on Gohan. She was sure that this time she had him, and with her new weaponry, she was pretty confident. What she didn't know was that no weapon in this world could harm Gohan…unless it was some powerful weapon. "I'd like to ask the same question. Drop whatever it is you are carrying and put your hands in the air!"

Gohan smiled kindly up at the raven haired girl "Ahh, my dear Videl."

"And my lovely Carmelita, how have you two been these last few months?" asked Sly.

"We could have sworn we left you miles back at the Temple of Solomon's back in Egypt", continued Gohan. Videl and Carmelita scowled. They remembered clearly what had happened back then. A small chase through the Nile in their fan crafts had left them stranded on the central island where one of the temple's from thousands of year ago was being excavated. They waited for ages till rescue arrived while Gohan and Sly got away with their gang.

"You may have given us the slip then but I swear, it won't happen again… EVER", yelled Carmelita.

"You robbing the country of the Ra medallion is a serious crime. For all the other crimes you have committed, this was the worst. Today, you're going down", said Videl. Gohan sniggered.

"How can such filthy words come from such a beautiful mouth? Come now Videl, you know we didn't claim that medallion for our selves", said Gohan.

Sly nodded in agreement. "We merely confiscated from that bandit Pharaoh and returned it to the museum. We actually did the people a good deed, as well as all the other thefts you supposedly think we were the criminals for. We only steal from other would be criminals and crime Lords, we do not steal from the good people around us, there's no fun in that. I believe that puts us on the same plate as you two."

Gohan nodded. "Exactly."

Carmelita pulled back the firing pin of her shock pistol, the sights still focused on Sly. "Listen Cooper, I call it what I see and I say that you and your gang of friends are the criminals around here. Even though you did steal from other criminals it still makes you a thief. That may put you on the same plate but on a different course and besides, stealing is wrong."

Videl sharpened her glare on Gohan, making sure h stayed in her cross-hatchings. "You're merely performing those acts of charity to cover up who you really are. Tons of stuff has gone missing over the past few years and it all circulates around you and your gang. That's why we're taking you down once and for all", declared Videl.

Sly and Gohan looked at each other and sighed. They both shrugged in exact unison before turning back to Carmelita and Videl. They had to agree; maybe they got a little too carried away with their small heists like stealing jewels from rich people and pinching high classed arts and historic pieces from here and there, with the exception of pick pocketing. Though, they did put their trophies to good use…

"Whatever you say Videl", said Gohan with a smile.

"Take us, we're yours. But that's if you can catch us first", said Sly.

In one swift movement, both Gohan and Sly leapt down from the board walks and onto one of the police cars far below. Their landing was light, only causing the vehicle to lurch slightly before the two leapt off the roof of the police car and sprint towards the car lot exit on the far side of the lot.

Carmelita reacted quickly and relocated her position, making an incredible flip from the edge of the building beside the parking lot and onto the armored police car closest to her. She landed on her right knee and foot with the same grace and lightness as Sly and Gohan before loading her shock pistol and aiming it at Sly.

Pulling on the trigger, her gun charged up quickly and in a flash, a powerful ball of blue and yellow electrical energy shot forth from the barrel's tip, her arms shooting upwards at the recoil. The blast aimed for Sly shot through the air as fast as a speeding bullet but because of Sly and Gohan's reflexes, they managed to leap out of the way before the blast could hit them. Instead, the high powered blast destroyed the police car parked behind them, sending bits of metal and glass flying everywhere while frying the vehicle completely.

Videl growled when she saw Carmelita miss and decided to get in on the action. Leaping down from the building and onto one of the police vehicles closest to her, she made another amazing leap and this time, landed in front of Gohan and Sly's path. The two thieves stopped at the sight of Videl pointing her pistol at them and were rather caught off guard.

Seeing the Satan girl pull back the firing pin of her pistol, Gohan and Sly turned to each other and smirked before leaping into the air and flipping over her. Videl followed them with her eyes and, aiming her pistol fired small, lethal shots at Gohan and Sly, mostly at Gohan as the two of them soared over them. All her shots missed though and when they finally landed behind her, they sprinted for the exit, avoiding Carmelita's blasts from her shock pistol.

Realizing that her target was getting away, Videl spun around and, still kneeling down low, pointed her gun and aimed it for Gohan's back. It only charged for a split second before she unleashed barrage after barrage of pink blaster shots. The high energy shots flew straight at its target but narrowing missed it, passing by Gohan completely, striking other surrounding objects. The impact of the shots ruptured the objects it struck before causing the struck obstacle to explode into a shower of sparks, debris and smoke.

The battle was leaving a few scars after all, even though the two cop women had planned to capture the two without and problems at all.

Relocating, Carmelita leapt from police vehicle to vehicle before leaping up onto a lamp post over looking the car lot, getting a full view of her target before aiming her pistol and charging it to immobilization stun. This ability in the shock pistol was enough to render a person unconscious for a full 12 hours or completely obliterate any object in the electro magnetic pulse charges.

Aiming her pistol, Carmelita flipped the gun to maximum 11 mode before pointing it at Sly. When he was in range, Carmelita pulled the trigger. It took three seconds for the gun's power to charge and when it was fully maximized, a full powered, lethal shot of blue electrical energy shot out, creating a heavy recoil that made Carmelita's arms fly upwards with her hands still gripped to the weapon's handle.

Gohan and Sly, already avoiding pink, high powered shots from the pursuing Videl saw the blast fired by Carmelita to their left at 11 o'clock and coming in fast, prompting them too make a major leap just to avoid the blast. The two soared through the air just as the blast of electric energy struck the concrete floor of the car lot, the explosion generating a massive shock wave and a crackling ball of fire to emerge and spread for about 10 meters in every direction, sending debris and rubble flying everywhere. Sly and Gohan were able to avoid it just in time.

Rolling on the ground a few good meters away, avoiding falling debris and ash at the same time, Sly and Gohan rolled back onto their feet and sprint the rest of their way to their getaway vehicle. Because of the missed attack Carmelita had caused, it stalled Videl's pursuit for those vital few seconds for the pair to hope into their van, slam the doors shut and speed away. The blue, Cooper symbolically painted van sped away with the loud screech of tires and the revving of the engines.

The van was out of sight in mere seconds, a trail of dust following it as it drove through the city and into the distance.

Managing to get through the flaming crater Carmelita's shot from her shock pistol had caused, Videl ran to the exit of the police car lot at the same time Carmelita leapt down from her lamp post, both of them standing side by side at the very spot Sly and Gohan's getaway van had been waiting for them. They both scowled after the van, seeing it disappear down the street and around the corner.

Carmelita growled and raised a shaking fist while Videl punched the pillar connected to the wall surrounding the car lot next to them, creating an indent. When She pulled her fist out she followed Carmelita's example and shook her fist in the air angrily.

"I'll get you for this Cooper", Carmelita shouted.

Videl beat Carmelita's yell and dashed forward so that she was more out into the street then her partner was. "I'll find you Gohan, if it's the last thing I do! I swear it!"

Both Videl and Carmelita stood where they were, glaring over the roof tops of Paris in a hope of seeing a reply from the Cooper gang. But no reply came and they merely resulted to staring off into the distance with mixed distressed and disappointed expressions.

But, like they said every time they lost both their targets in the past…there was always next time.

TO BE CONTINUED…


	4. Tide of Terror

DRAGONBALL Z **meets _Sly Cooper_**

Tide of Terror

_**Gohan's thoughts…**_

"Once again the gang and I have given Carmelita Fox and Videl Satan the slip. I could have sworn I heard them cursing from three miles down the road. But I was more surprised to see how well they took it. (Laugh) They're as angry as ever. Guess it just irritates them that they can't catch the two greatest Thieves on this planet. Heck, I did learn from the expert."

"But finally… after years of searching, the Top secret police file on Sly Cooper was finally ours. The file not only held the documents on all of Sly's profile, friends, family, history and birth dates, but it also held the five criminals responsible for him being in the orphanage in the first place. I know how he feels. I lost my father at the hands of an evil figurehead, one who I hope never to see again in the after life."

"Now that we have the file and all the detailed information we needed, our next stop was the Isle O'Wrath, an island situated in the centre of the… artificially created Welsh Triangle."

"The trip there gave me and Sly time to look up on the first member of the Fiendish five, the criminal circle organization responsible for the murders of Sly's parents and the confiscation of the Thievius Raccoonus. Our target turned out to be the Fiendish Five's chief machinist, Sir Raleigh the frog."

"Looking back on his history, Sir Raleigh grew up on a life of nobility and privilege, served by devoted servants and living in huge mansions across England. He soon grew tired of his rich life and on a whim, tried his hand on piracy, and found it to his liking. Because of his wealth, he was able to purchase high tech machinery and use it to create weapons of destruction as well as create a small pirate navy for himself."

"His tinkering genius didn't go unnoticed by the founder of the fiendish five who recruited the frog as chief mechanic. Sir Raleigh's abilities, talents and intelligence gave the Fiendish five new ideas and, using Sir Raleigh's designs and technology, were able to commit wide spread pirating on the open waters that stretched from the English channel, and far out to the wide open Pacific and Atlantic."

"After the attack on Sly's home, the master minded thief Sir Raleigh went into hiding in his heavily fortified home of Isle O'Wrath where his so called storm machine was built. It was said that he was the creator of the Welsh Triangle, the artificial storm brewer able to wreck shipping in the area by disrupting the local weather system in that triangle of doom. The beached ships were robbed and raided by Raleigh's men, allowing the insane frog to continue his piracy work while remaining in reach of his island home. It was no wonder sailors feared the Welsh Triangle more then the Bermuda"

"Seeing as that Sir Raleigh was in possession of more of the important pages of the Thievius Raccoonus and was the closest member of the Fiendish five, me and the boys packed up all the equipment we needed and headed off to storm Sir Raleigh's base of operations. It seemed like an easy enough mission but we were soon to find out that breaking into Raleigh's territory wasn't going to be as easy as we thought."

* * *

_**Isle O'Wrath…**_

_**Outskirts of Sir Raleigh's mansion base and storm machine…**_

After a long boat trip to Isle O'Wrath thanks to the upgrades Bentley had made to the van to create a flotation system allowing the van to float and move like a speedboat, the van now stood parked on a high cliff over looking a large, open valley which slowly extended into the ocean on the other side. It looked like a long way but really wasn't.

It was raining heavily, not to mention dark and cloudy, the storm giving the surrounding forestation a gloomy, misty, swamp like look. Just looking up at the stormy clouds above made Sly and his friends feel depressed; terrible weather created by a terrible master mind.

Because the van was parked with its rear end facing the direction of the cliff's edge they were currently positioned on, under cover by some surrounding palm trees, it allowed Sly and his gang to exit the van easily, get a good access point view of Raleigh's base camp and give them some extra shelter even though they were outside in the pouring rain.

Since Gohan wasn't in the mood for remaining into wet, stormed out places he allowed Sly to tackle on the task at hand. Seeing as that it was their first major heist in reclaiming the Thievius Raccoonus, Gohan also felt it was best for Sly to handle this one personally.

The van's back doors suddenly flew open and, stepping out from the blue van which stuck out of the surrounding, grayish and down putting surroundings was Sly Cooper, dressed in his usual and symbolic clothing, armed with only his cane, strength and wits. The moment he stepped out of the warm interior of his gang's van, now their safe house, Sly immediately felt the full force of the skin piercing cold. It was freezing. No wonder Gohan had wanted to stay indoors.

But there were other reasons Sly didn't catch onto very well though. When he came to think of it though, he did ay he wanted to take this heist first.

Dashing out into the rain and coming to crouch low at the cliff's edge, Sly pulled out his water proof binocucom and looked through it, the vision of the binocucom allowing him to enhance his view on the valley below. With it, Sly was able to get a full on read out of Sir Raleigh's head quarters and mansion. It was simply packed with walls, barbed wire, laser defenses, guards and spot lights. The out of place statues and palm trees would later give Sly an excellent advantage when he was sneaking into this joint.

It was only a few seconds of scanning the entire vicinity below did Sly get interrupted by Gohan's face appearing in the corner of his binocucom visor thanks to the holo-phone transmitter. Although it was unexpected and surprising, Sly had to admit it was useful when reading his gang's expressions.

Gohan right now was looking quite warm and cheerful and Sly could imagine himself compared to his friend that he was drenched and looking dreadful at the moment. But when he came down to it, he was glad he was tackling on his first foe, avenging his parents for their deaths.

"**_Hey there Sly, how are you feeling",_** asked Gohan. Sly shrugged, trying his best to prevent his teeth from chattering. His hat was already dripping, the drops of water leaking down the lenses of his binocucom, disrupting his visual conformation of Sir Raleigh's HQ.

"Oh, can't complain. But I think you can guess what its like out here", replied Sly in a hushed whisper. Now he was wondering how Sir Raleigh and his men could stand this kind of down pour.

Gohan chuckled on his end and nodded. **_"Whatever you say Sly…but if you need any help, just give me a ring and I'll be down there faster then you can say 'cops and robbers'."_**

Sly smiled. "Thanks for the reminder. Put Bentley on line!" Obliging, Gohan walked out of the camera's view to have Bentley take his place in the holo projection. Sly was wondering how he would look on the transmitting end of the binocucom's holo-phone.

"Hey there Bentley, I must say this transmission thing of yours works great. Anyway, are you getting the full visual layout of Raleigh's base", asked Sly, enhancing his view on the entire mansion below so that he could see the iron gates, the only thing along with the wall diving him from the interior of the large base.

Bentley nodded, his fingers working effortlessly on the computer inside their van, at the same time taking in photos and recordings of the base's surroundings and interior. **_"I am Sly, I am! Wow, Sir Raleigh sure has come prepared. But I bet it's nothing you can't handle, right."_**

Sly nodded with a grin. "Yup, it's like breaking into the Queen's palace and stealing the crown jewels. But there is just one problem. How do I get from here, to down there", asked Sly. It was true they had parked on top of the cliff after following the road they had taken from the beach that was the only road in sight, but there was the question of how they could get down there. It seemed impossible though with this entire mountain range blocking them off from their main target.

Bentley chuckled. **_"It's simple Sly, a thief of your species like you should be able to spot a sneaky advantage. Do you see any branches, ledges or any other objects lying around you?"_**

Sly raised an eyebrow and scanned the cliffs around and in front of him up and down, looking over the side for a closer look while still keeping the binocucom to his eyes. He only looked for a few seconds before he stumbled upon something really unusual and surprising. Along one of the vines below him leading down from the top of the cliff to the base of it, he saw running along the vine he saw a trail of sparkling blue lights. Something Bentley had neglected to tell him about in school time.

"Whoa! Are you seeing this Bentley? It's like vertigo or something. Do you see those sparkling blue lights running down the vine below me", asked Sly. Bentley squinted to get a closer view of Sly's view through the binocucom in the screen above him but shrugged.

"**_Sorry Sly I can't. But that is exactly what I had wanted you to look for in the first place. After looking up information on your family's ancestry, the past Cooper's described on paper about seeing a sparkling blue aura along many of their heists surroundings. On further investigations into this bizarre phenomenon, your ancestor's explained that subconscious senses allow thieves like yourself to see and sense out thieving opportunities, allowing you to perform an extra sneaky approach into your targets perimeter. This sparkling aura cannot be seen by other people or beings and only by you because you're a Cooper."_**

Sly's eyes twinkled in approval. "Perfect, that's all I need. I'm guessing my subconscious is telling me to scale down these vines to reach my objective. Brief me in when I reach Sir Raleigh's base area."

"**_Right!"_** replied Bentley enthusiastically.

Packing away his binocucom, Sly leapt down from the cliff fell at arms reach down the cliff wall. After dropping for about ten feet, Sly threw out his cane at the exceptionally strong and long vine, grabbing it with the hook end of his cane and pulled himself to the vine. Using abilities Sly rarely used, the thieving Raccoon grasped tightly onto the vine while holding his cane in his right hand. His strength allowed him to hang onto the vine about seven stories above the ground and keep himself in position.

Sly grinned as he gazed down at the ground below. "This could come in handy in the future." With that said, Sly began descending down the vine, crawling down the slippery plant. His abilities as a thief also allowed him to crawl up and down slippery objects like ice walls and wet pipes. Sort of like spider man.

When he was about two stories above the ground, Sly leapt down from where he was, pushing off the side of the cliff wall so he could put distance between him and the solid stone cliff and perhaps to gain a little jump momentum if he were to reach the trees he was aiming for.

His leap sent him flying a few good meters before he started falling. As planned, he started falling towards the near by trees one story below, their branches emitting the same blue, sparkling aura he had seen before.

Expertly, Sly pulled his cane out from behind him, spun it in his fingers before grasping it tightly in his hands and reaching out with the hook end of his cane. He caught onto one of the many branches he was aiming for and swung on it with his cane, the grip on it stopping his fall and preventing him from hitting the ground. He sighed as he swung where he was, looking ahead of him down the isle of trees, their branches hanging out and making perfect swinging posts.

Grinning, Sly gripped his cane tighter and starting swinging himself back and forth on it like sitting on a swing. Once he had gained enough momentum, he threw himself forward towards the next tree and branch, doing a few back flips before reaching out and catching his cane and himself on the next branch, stopping him from falling and leaving him hanging where he was.

Swinging himself a few times, increasing his momentum strength, Sly let himself flying again towards the next branch, this time, after reaching the branch, grasping hold of it with his cane to prevent himself falling, he instead on the first swing after grabbing hold of the branch leapt to the next branch, grabbed hold of it, swung and leapt to the next one.

He repeated this process several times, swinging from branch to branch, using his caner to his advantage. He knew that using this route was much faster then running. It was the use of the trees that was specialty. When he was on a heist, he had learnt that his best advantages were the night, high places, rooftops, and dark ally's, rafters and tree tops. If he was able to gain a camouflage and height against his targets, then he was sure to achieve his goals.

It only took him a minute or so for him to reach Sir Raleigh's front gates and when he did, Sly used the momentum he had gained from his tree swinging to swing himself onto the branch closest to Sir Raleigh's fortress but instead of swinging straight at the gates, spun around on the branch he had managed to grasp hold of and sit himself on the branch itself.

Crouching low like he always did and making sure he was well balanced, Sly pulled out his binocucom and placed them against his eyes. His visor came to life instantly as he scanned the surroundings set out before him, all detailed readouts and schematics appearing before him as well as the image of Gohan's face in the corner of his visor.

"**_OK Sly, what have you got for us from where you are?"_** asked Gohan. Sly scratched his head as he looked up and down the bar gates fixed into the solid walls surrounding Sir Raleigh's fortress.

"It isn't as easy as it seems Gohan. This is a fully fortified mansion loaded with guards and guns, stuffed to the gills with security systems. Its fun I have to admit, but I don't want to damage the pages I'm after in the process", said Sly.

Gohan nodded. **_"Guess so. But if you need an easy entrance, I could bust down that gate for you if you need it."_** Sly shook his head.

"No its too risky, we cannot alert Sir Raleigh of our presence here or it might prompt him to destroy the pages in his possession or worse, set his storm machine to maximum and cause a hurricane system that may as well wipe you and our van out", replied Sly in a desperate tone of voice. Gohan heard this and nodded, looking at the surveillance photos Sly had already taken.

"**_I see what you mean. Alright, scratch that suggestion. Ok, instead what you need to do is break in, sneak your way up to that blimp and take out Sir Raleigh along with his storm machine then get out of there with the Thievius Raccoonus pages as quickly as possible. What is your plan of action?"_** asked Gohan. Sly shrugged.

"I don't know, but I like your suggestion though, break in then break out. It's perfect, and at the same time we're doing a good deed for sailors all around the world. But there is still the problem of getting in… hmm", said Sly, scratching his chin while looking over the walls and defenses. After a quick scan of the iron bar gate, Sly soon found his way in. "I guess I can just use those lamp posts to scale my way up the wall then leap over the rest of the way to the other side. It's full proof. And on my way out I can just open the gate unless someone opens it for me."

Gohan smiled and nodded. **_"That's good Sly, now you're thinking. Bentley is sending you a map of Sir Raleigh's base into your binocucom, you can use it to find your way through the exterior of the mansion and to his blimp hovering above his base serving as his lookout post. It appears that that blimp is the source of the storm systems brewing up here. If you are to destroy it, then we can put an end to all this nonsense. Just be sure to rob Sir Raleigh of all the valuables he has stolen. Remember, we only steal from master minded criminals."_**

Sly chuckled and nodded. "I remember, I know. It's the Cooper clan's code. I'll rendezvous with you guys in an hour or so with the pages in tow. I'll deal with Sir Raleigh myself."

"**_All right Sly. Good luck. And try not to get caught."_** Then, Gohan's connection cut off.

With a smile, Sly shoved his binocucom into his pack and, finding out his invasion point, leapt from the tree branch and pulled out his cane. With perfect aim, he grasped hold of the nearest lamp post and latched onto it. He then swiftly climbed the pole till he reached the top of it and flipped onto its top spire, ignoring the heat from the lamp itself.

He found this maneuver quite useful because he was using the top of the lamp post as a narrow platform, allowing him a good vantage point over his obstacles. Another useful move he had found out he was capable of.

Grinning, Sly leapt from the spire he was situated on and onto the next lamp post across the gravel road onto the other side. Using his awesome gymnastic skills, he flipped and spun through the air before landing perfectly on the narrow spire tip, the lamp post shaking only a bit before becoming stable again. It was incredible how much balance Sly had, meaning he was a good gymnast.

Turning on the tip so that he was facing the gate in front of him, Sly jumped as high and as far as he could. Gaining a little more height, Sly powered his jump by double jumping in the air, flipping and pushing outwards using his legs and body movement. Once he had gained enough length, Sly reached out with his cane, grasped onto the lamp attached to the pillar next to the iron bared gate and swung on it.

Using his swing he flipped up and steadied himself on top of the lamp as he did with the previous lamp and lamp posts using the Ninja spire jump. Because the lamp was at exact level with the wall's ledge, Sly was able to hop over the wall with no difficulty at all.

When he leapt over the wall and landed on the other side, he found himself in a stylish garden with grass, bushes and trees planted everywhere. There was a crazy pavement path leading from the gate and straight down the garden where it circulated around a statue of Sir Raleigh and ended at the entrance to his fortified mansion. There were two guards patrolling the garden and another two walking the perimeter of the roof of the mansion.

Sly carefully examined the front of th mansion with his eyes and, seeing that the only way in was a pipe line leading up towards the mansions' roof gutters, Sly formulated a plan to find his way around the guards and spotlights and up that pipe. So, deciding to take this the easier way, Sly snuck around using the walls, avoiding the occasional lights and spotlights from the guards that came on so to not alert anyone he was there.

How he did was by simply hiding behind nearby objects such as bushes, statues and trees. Using stealth, Sly went on tip toes, avoiding the shadowed guards. One of the guards patrolling the wall's perimeter was an oversized human guard with bulging muscles and wearing a water proof, blue uniform and armed with a revolver. Sly wasn't impressed. It took more then just a show of form that made a man strong.

Dashing the rest of the way to the side of the marble made mansion, Sly reached eh pole as quickly as he could and scaled it just like he did with the vine except he ascended it rather then descended. The task was easy, and after climbing up the two story building, Sly clambered past the gutter and crouched low on the tile roof close to the edge. His eyes shifted around in the rainy darkness. He was accustomed to the dark but the rain just messed up his sightings.

But it would take more then just rain and a few guards to stop Sly.

Running over the tile made roof, avoiding the various guards and spotlights, Sly leapt onto the very top of the roof where the two sides met and balanced himself on the crease. He could see the dazzling blue aura as clear as day, allowing him to find his way through the night and possibly, towards his target.

Holding his arms out for balance and with his cane held tightly in his right hand, Sly dashed across the roof towards the other end. When he did reach it, he found a large wire and a wipe running up into the sky as if securing something floating high above. It was used for that very purpose for when Sly's eyes followed the wire up to its connection; he saw the heavily armored blimp floating above, rain pouring down onto his face.

Looking down and shaking his head and face of the water he had just caught, Sly placed his finger on his ear so to communicate with Bentley and the others.

"Hey guys, I'm on the roof and I've just reached Sir Raleigh's blimp. I can scale the blimp's pipe line but I can't see what else is up there", said Sly.

Bentley's voice appeared on the air, speaking loudly and clearly enough for Sly to hear. **_"This might surprise you Sly, but Sir Raleigh hasn't installed any safety and defense devices from what we can see. Apparently the blimp is already housing the storm machine and can't hold anything more except a bridge and a throne room."_**

Sly smiled and nodded. "Thanks Bentley. I'm hoping to surprise Sir Raleigh with one of my dramatic entrances." Bentley nodded in agreement.

"**_I hope so too Sly, but be careful. Usually the big, powerful criminals are strong themselves and with Sir Raleigh's intelligence, he might have something lying in wait for you."_** replied Bentley.

"I highly doubt that. If Sir Raleigh is up there, then he should be positive about his guards down below and anti aircraft systems that nothing would be able to get him."

Bentley sighed. **_"I guess so. But be careful nonetheless Sly. We want you back here in one piece."_**

Cutting himself off from Bentley and the others, Sly flung his cane back onto his back and leapt up onto the wire connected to the blimp and started climbing. It was a little bit harder then he had expected it to be for a few good reasons. One, the pipe attached to the thick wire made climbing a little more difficult. Second was that the wire was slippery and since it was smooth, made climbing all the more difficult. And thirdly, the winds generated by the storm machine attempted to pick up in gusts, almost knocking Sly's hat off and him himself.

The blimp had to be floating at the right altitude to generate the storm system and from his experience in bad weather Sly suspected it would be at least a thousand feet off the ground. When he thought he had reached half way, Sly looked up to see if his senses weren't fooling him, only to groan when he saw that he had only crawled about one quarter of the way. And it had taken him at least five minutes to climb that first quarter.

When he finally managed to reach the blimp, Sly felt like he had given himself a good work out. His arms felt so light and aching. Maybe a few routine spars with Gohan would strengthen him a bit more so that he didn't hurt as much after a climb like that.

The wire was connected to the front of the blimp and Sir Raleigh's private compartment was located in the centre and on the underbelly of the blimp. So, as carefully as possible, Sly scaled the robe leading across the side of the blimp. The blimp was filled with helium so it kept it off the ground and much of the maneuverability of the blimp was made by the turning of the components which fortunately were moved by exterior ropes. Sly was able to use these to reach Sir Raleigh's compartment below, using the last rope to slide down the side of the round blimp and land on the ledge of the boxed out compartment.

The blimp seemed to blend in with the sky, its color being a light shade of nightly grey as well as the tail fins and the Sir Raleigh's compartment built in the form of a box with a circular base. The compartment stuck out a lot on the blimp with a glass window circulating the entire structure but shaded so visibility into the compartment was a zero so Sly couldn't see what was in there.

But aside from that, Sly's thieving senses told him that the Thievius Raccoonus was in there and he was going to get it, along with Sir Raleigh.

Grabbing hold of the railing running along the roof ledges of the compartment, Sly pushed off and swung into the glass feet first. The impact of him against the glass shattered it, sending shards flying everywhere allowing Sly a clear view of his targets estate.

That first swing was just for breaking, and now the second swing shall be used for entering. Gripping his cane he had used to grab the railing, Sly swung back then swung forward, releasing his grip on the outer railing and flipping into the blimps compartment and landing on the closest object he could find. A giant helm serving as a platform that as floating in water along with several other platforms circulating a computerized pillar which appeared to be the storm machine's core.

The helm Sly had landed on bobbed around, making Sly look down at what this helm was floating on. He groaned when he discovered it was floating on water. He really wasn't a good swimmer and he certainly hated deep water. But it was understandable that the entire base of this blimps compartment was filled with water, Sir Raleigh was a frog and he needed the drainage water to power his storm machine.

But where was Sir Raleigh that was the question. Sly's eyes scanned the entire interior of the compartment, seeing the steel walls and dripping roofs above him. Upon looking around him, he finally spotted the only object out of place. A King's chair fully gold with red cushions, a large safe standing next to it and a green frog wearing an oversized top hat sitting on the chair up on a platform two meters above the water line.

Sly smirked and crossed his arms upon seeing the frog sitting in the chair, its beady little eyes staring back at him. He knew who it was and the prospect of this being Sir Raleigh was laughable. For a member of the fiendish five, he expected someone with a little more, muscle.

"Ahh... how delightful… we have a guest", said Sir Raleigh in a true British accent with a small smile on his face. Sly however could tell he was speaking sarcastically. "The only thing is… I HATE UNEXPECTED GUESTS!"

Sly frowned and pointed the hook part of his cane at the frog sitting on the chair in front of him. The swaying of the helm he was standing on was beginning to annoy him. "Listen Raleigh, wipe out my family and steal what's mine, you better expect company. Now hand over the pages you have crunched up in your slimy fingers and surrender."

Sir Raleigh smirked confidently. "Oh, I'm ever so sorry. How sloppy of me not to finish… the job. Obviously we should have snuffed you out as well. So without further ado, let me make amends by what…" Sir Raleigh's expression suddenly turned angry and he slammed his fist on his couch's arm rest. "BLOATING TO GARGANTUAN SIZE AND SQUASHING YOU LIKE THE INSIGNIFICANT BUG THAT YOU ARE!"

Sly frowned. "Bring it on!"

Gohan's voice suddenly appeared in his ear piece. **_"Hey Sly, you alright, we can see what's going on from down here. Is that Sir Raleigh?"_**

Sly nodded, seeing Sir Raleigh making a tremendous leap from his chair and land on top of the storm machine built in the centre of the room, a small platform also built onto the machine. "Apparently yes…"

"**_Well, what's happening? Is he giving up?"_** asked Gohan. Sly shook his head while watching Sir Raleigh carefully. The small frog suddenly using his tongue shot it out into the air above him, catching one of the many bees and swallowing it by retracting his tongue. It was then when Sly noticed the numerous bees flying around and had a hunch of what was about to happen next.

In an instant, the once small frog known as Sir Raleigh suddenly bloated up like a balloon, his weight increasing tremendously and his size increasing to double that of Sly's. Sir Raleigh laughed sinisterly once he had grown to his full bloated size and glared at his opponent floating on the helm below.

"Nope… actually it's the exact opposite to that."

Suddenly, Sir Raleigh jumped up and above Sly, his body flying overhead and shadowing the Raccoon with his bloated body down below. The frog suddenly came plummeting back down, Sir Raleigh's intentions becoming clear. He was intent on squashing Sly like he said, and thank to the bees, it looks as thought he was going to do just that.

Before Sir Raleigh could land on him and squash him, Sly leapt out of the way and jumped over the water and onto another helm, avoiding the frog's crushing landing. The helm Sir Raleigh landed on dipped around wildly, splashing the water over everything close to the helm in mass quantities, but not Sly. He was already wt enough as he is. However, the weight of Sir Raleigh's fall wasn't enough to send the bloated frog tipping into the water and because of the control Sir Raleigh had over his body; he was able to move around, despite his legs being unable to touch the ground because of how at he had gotten.

Seeing his opponent had moved, Sir Raleigh turned to where Sly was now and gave chase, bouncing a couple of times where he sat before making a major leap aimed right over Sly once more. Sly growled and leapt out of the way onto the next helm, once again avoiding one of Sir Raleigh's crushing landings. The battle soon turned into a cat and mouse chase with Sir Raleigh being the cat and Sly being the mouse. The frog had a size and weight advantage over Sly but he didn't have quite the amount of speed to catch up with his opponent.

And everyone knows that speed always beat brute strength.

Growing tired of this chase after leaping from helm to helm, Sly decided to turn the tables and, once landing on one of the helms turned around to face Sir Raleigh, seeing the frog land on the helm floating beside the one he was on. The frog croaked loudly before leaping again and landing on Sly's helm, his shadow looming over Sly menacingly.

Swiftly, Sly leapt into the air and, grasping his cane in both hands, swiped the hook end across Sir Raleigh's face, the frog grunting at the impact, a bruise appearing on his face. Though it wasn't much, it sure did some damage.

Still floating suspended in the air for the moment, Sly spun around and sent a roundhouse kick at the frog's face, this time on the other side. The blow had the same effect as the cane, Sly's foot striking across Sir Raleigh's right cheek, bruising that side too. This maddened the giant frog as he was unable to attack back accept try and gain some bouncing strength and crush Sly beneath him.

Landing on the helm, Sly took up his cane and slapped out at Sir Raleigh's enlarged stomach, his cane striking and poking at the blabber like skin of his opponent. To his surprise, Sly couldn't even hurt the oversized frog. His strikes only caused ripples to skim across Raleigh's belly, the blows only tickling the oversized pirate.

Sir Raleigh laughed loudly and glared down at Sly with vein red eyes, the Raccoon backing off at the sight. "You can't hurt me insect", said Sir Raleigh in a deep voice. "It will take more then that stick of yours to penetrate my bloated skin."

Sly knew he was right but smirked as an idea came to his head. Crouching low Sly leapt into the air and, after gaining the right altitude, punched out at Sir Raleigh's face with his left, his cane held in his right. His fist struck Sir Raleigh's lips and went right through, the giant frog being caught by surprise when he suddenly felt Sly's fist enter his mouth.

After finding what he was looking for, Sly smiled and, pushing his feet up against Sir Raleigh's chest, pulled out the bee that Sir Raleigh had swallowed, the little insect's stinger flailing around wildly, trying to sting its next attacker.

Pushing off of his bloated opponent at the same time as releasing the bee in his fingers, Sly landed back on the large helm and watched the chain of events about to occur. Sir Raleigh, once an oversized and strong opponent began to shrink, his body deflating and returning to its regular size. Within seconds, Sir Raleigh returned to normal size, his legs and hands finally able to touch the ground and he was back to looking like a regular frog again.

The master minded frog had lost his advantage. Staring fearfully up at his now taller opponent, Sir Raleigh saw the smirk plastered on Sly's face as he looked down at him, his arms crossed and his cane shining bright in his right hand. Chocolate brown eyes burned deep into blue with a streak of silence passing through the air.

"Now who's the insignificant bug", asked Sly. Sir Raleigh gulped.

"Me?"

Sly nodded in agreement. "Straight up."

Crouching low and pulled back his cane, Sly swung his cane wielding arm around and with the hooked end of the cane, struck Sir Raleigh at his chin and sent him straight into the storm machine built into the centre of the room. The impact of Sir Raleigh soaring into the pillar had an immediate effect as the frog, smacked into machine, destroyed it completely by smashing the components consoles on it with Sir Raleigh lying imprinted against it. He stayed there for a while before sliding off of it and falling into the water below.

The weather machine core system sizzled with electricity, its emergency shut off lights flashing for several sections before it lost power and the entire storm machine shut down with a loud whir, its central battery cutting off from its surrounding sources it was powering. On the outside, the rain stopped instantaneously at the shutting down of the storm machine and soon enough, the clouds began clearing, the dark storm system disappearing as if it had never been there in the first place.

Gohan, Bentley and Murray saw the whole thing from their position on the van and they awed at the sight before them of the clearing of the skies and the revealing of the sun. it was more beautiful then the sunsets itself as light returned to the dark, life returning to this dead end place.

Back in the blimp, Sly was standing on the edge of the helm and glaring down at the beaten and bruised up form of Sir Raleigh floating in the water below. The frog's eyes were half idled and looking up at Sly in defeat.

"B-Blast it all… you've beaten me!" chocked Sir Raleigh, his voice slightly gurgled from the water he was floating in, his cheeks and hat keeping him afloat. By the way, thanks to the beating he received, his hat was more torn and bent then ever. "Well… gloat all you want… Sly Cooper! You're no match for Muggshot…my villainous cohort in Utah. You'll see. His casino in Mesa city is so well guarded a snake couldn't slither in without setting off alarms!"

Sly smirked with a nod. "Well we'll see then won't we?"

Sir Raleigh let out an irritated sigh before letting out a loud gurgle and losing consciousness. The fiendish five's chief machinist's pirating days were over…

* * *

_**Sly's thoughts…**_

_**After leaving Isle O'Wrath**_

"The pages Sir Raleigh had in his possessions belonged to my earlier ancestors in the 700AD. I'm referring to those who had taken up their thieving reputation in Japan. One of which, my ancestor Riochi Cooper and another named Drake Cooper. Many more of my ancestor's pages were here too, and with these I was able to learn all the moves they had created."

"With Sir Raleigh's storm machine out of commission, I could assure my friends that a way off this island was going to be easy."

"It turned out that getting out of Sir Raleigh's mansion got a little tricky with the untimely arrival of Inspector Carmelita fox and the police. Having just missed me leaping over the wall, Inspector Fox arrested the next best thing, throwing that insane mechanic Sir Raleigh into prison. My Foxy Inspector actually made it through to the front page in the World Wide newspaper, with the exception of my calling card held in her fingers. I could swear I could see the same mixed expression of disappointment and love on her face. The sight of it makes me smile."

"With the storm machine out of commission, boats found their way back out onto the ocean and the mystery of the Welsh Triangle, faded from memory. That was good news for us, for we were able to get back to England without any hassles at all."

"Me, Gohan, Bentley and Murray took a little time off around England. Me and Gohan had a real swing by swiping some valuables from some of the local gangs here who have stolen from museums and displays over the years. But if destiny should call, the gang and I headed back home to Paris, ready for our next mission. A train caboose parked on top of a hill as our base of operations.

"It was good to be back, but I couldn't wait for our next destination…"

TO BE CONTINUED…


	5. Sunset Snake eyes

DRAGONBALL Z **meets _Sly Cooper_**

SUNSET SNAKE EYES

_**Sly's thoughts…**_

"It's been a while since me and the guys have been back in the states. Anyway, the next member of the Fiendish Five on our list we're going after was the notorious Muggshot, the muscle. A stereotypical thug who may be big and strong but wasn't too bright."

"Muggshot wasn't always a muscle bound bandit I'll have you know. He grew up as the runt of the litter. He was always picked on for it. But that all changed when the pup went round to the cinemas to see his first action film. It was here where he found his role model and friend for life, the gangster characters up on the big screen."

"Inspired by this, for the rest of his life and childhood he started working out, becoming the muscle bound thug we see today with a taste for guns and cash. Because of his incredible strength, his skin was full-proof, he was unaffected by bullets, knives or any other conventional weapons, he was that strong! Ha… perfect job for Gohan, I bet he'll knock the stuffing's out of that purple, skinned bore hound."

"After which Muggshot grew in both strength and form, he paid back all those who had picked on him back when he was a kid, teaching them a lesson in learning. This move turned Muggshot to street brawling, where his tough as nails attitude and strengths earned him a seat in the Fiendish five as Chief Enforcer."

"Now a criminal, Muggshot created a gambling empire in the big town Mesa City. He overthrown the mayor of that town and drove everyone else out, becoming the new ruler of all of Western America. His rule over mesa City earned him all the funding he needed and because of his new gambling rule, he was able to create his own Penthouse and base of operations. Pretty good for a dog, he chased out an entire population and created his own Empire."

"Well… I think we'll pay that steroid case a little visit. We owe him that much."

* * *

_**Mesa City, Utah…**_

_**Outskirts of the Penthouse…**_

It was hot, dry and sticky, with the exception of the clear blue skies where the sun hangs high, lighting up all of America. Mesa City was like an orange jewel against the horizon with the sun's rays reflecting off of the many windows and creating a warm golden glow. It was definitely the place where gold was produced thanks to the touch's Muggshot had made to it.

The city was surrounded by an extremely large chasm whereas at the bottom of the chasm ran a long running river that also circulated the entire city. There were only a few entrances, and the entrance Sly and his gang had chosen was the back entrance closest to the penthouse. At the back of the city where Sly and his gang was, there was a large range of mountains that was a perfect sanctuary for criminals in hiding, fugitives and perhaps a few thieves taking surveillance photos of the entire Penthouse.

Emerging from the large drainage pipe where Sly's van was hidden in, Gohan dashed out and onto the dusty stone roads leading out from the large drain. His eyes had to grow a little bit more accustomed to the sudden flashes of light upon emerging from the large sewerage system and he was relieved of getting out of there. His nose was as sharp as a dog's and it smelt awful in there.

Gohan now doubted about his selection of clothes for this trip. Even though he wore his standard black and red gi, he figured black rather stood out against an orange desert wall. But because of all the obstacles and ledges provided to him by the entire Penthouse before him, he figured he could use the shadows to his advantage.

Gohan scanned the road in front of him. true it was dusty and slightly red from the surrounding sand, but it was clearly distinguishable as a road which lead over the bridge and into the penthouse courtyard where it ended at the doorway to Muggshot's gambling castle. Gohan's eyes slowly trailed up the casino that was a poor replica of one of Las Vegas' casino's till he reached the roof tops. It was here Gohan spotted something highly unusual yet understandable.

Pulling out his binocucom, Gohan started scanning the entire building with it while Bentley's head appeared in his visor in the corner. Both were impressed by the construction and security but it did leave them out of the zone a bit because neither of them were dogs.

"Hey Bentley, check this out. Muggshot's turf is so rundown but the security's tight", said Gohan, following the guard dogs below. These weren't ordinary guard dogs, they were dogs dressed in tuxedos and armed with Thompson machine guns or, using the famous name, Tommy gun. They were actually upgraded versions of the original weapon that were equipped with a recoil absorber, a loudener barrel and a flashlight.

Bentley nodded. **_"I see. Well, it's not going to be any difficult taking out those guards. The only question is without alerting Muggshot is how are you going to get up into his royal suite?"_**

Gohan shrugged and looked up at the roof tops of the penthouse. "I don't know but I'll think of something. Hey, I can see why he calls this place home since he's living in a giant fire hydrant."

Bentley nodded. **_"And it sticks out a lot too. You should be able to find that oversized nut case easily. But no time to waste! Ransack the place, get Sly's pages to the Thievius Raccoonus from Muggshot and get out of there!"_**

Gohan smirked. "All in a days work!" Putting away his binocucom, Gohan ran down the bridge down the road below, all the while avoiding from stepping on any of the surrounding debris and material such as fuel barrels, pieces from cars and trash cans.

His footsteps were silent as ever thanks to his shoes, now he wondered why Bentley was tinkering with his footwear, improving it so it didn't make that awful tapping noise that usually echoed through an entire room or building.

Having reached the bridge, Gohan crouched low behind and beside one of the brick made pillars and peeked around it. On previous inspections of the turf in front of Muggshot's casino, Gohan was able to count the number of guards on patrol. One of which was walking up and down the bridge with a cigar in his mouth while another two were patrolling the turf itself.

Gohan's eyes zipped from side to side a couple of times, taking in the guards weapons and devotion to their duties via their sense of awareness and senses before the young Saiyan took wing. Making his way under the bridge thanks to the ledge created by the cliff the bridge was built crossing over.

Once Gohan was under the bridge the young Saiyan leapt over to the other side, using a move Sly had performed before. There was a out of place hook fixed under the bridge, allowing Gohan to grab hold of it and swing over to the other side without the use of his flying technique. It was no fun if he just flew in and destroyed the entire building. Besides, he didn't want the pages of Thievius Raccoonus damaged in the process.

Once on the other side, Gohan snuck around from under the bridge and peeked around into the turf. The guards were busy overlooking the entrance to the casino and were too caught up to notice anything going on behind them. This gave Gohan the advantage he needed.

Looking up onto the bridge above him, he saw that the guard had stopped and was standing on the edge of the bridge taking a puff from his cheap cigar. Because Gohan was hiding on the left side of the bridge and the guard had his back turned to him and was standing on the right side of the bridge, this gave Gohan the edge he needed to sabotage Muggshot's defenses.

With the guards still having their backs turned to Gohan, the young Saiyan grabbed the railing of the bridge and pushed himself up onto it so that he crouched on top of the ledge. Since the guard didn't hear him, Gohan pushed with his hand and punched his right leg out in a side kick. His foot connected with the guard's upper back, smacking him hard and sending him toppling over the side and into the chasm below, howling loudly.

The guards at the door heard the howl and turned around, brandishing their Tommy guns and loading them. They had expected to see some stranger standing on the bridge where their friend was but instead saw nothing. After scanning the bridge with their flashlights, the two dog guards turned to each other and shrugged before slowly, making their way over to the bridge, crossing over the grass and onto the cement road.

When they reached the bridge, they both looked over the right side of the bridge and down into the chasm below. It was at least a kilometer deep and they could barely see the blue, running river far below. There was no sing of their friend.

They moved their guns' flash lights over the sides of the bridge they were looking at and were about to look up when a sudden figure flipped himself from under a bridge and sent himself feet first the two guards' faces still looking over the side of the bridge, smacking them hard.

The blow was enough to knock them back and knock the guns out of their hands, throwing them into the air. The two dog guards staggered back and knocked onto the side railing of the bridge while Gohan, who had kicked them by flipping up from underneath the bridge landed on the opposite bridge railing on the right side and caught the guns the two guards had lost their grips on.

The guards, who were slowly regaining their balance and sense of what was going on, they looked up, only to be met with the two barrels of their guns, a smirking Gohan holding them out at them. The guards immediately shot their hands up, their expressions one of fear, shock and surprise. Their black pupils in their brown fur covered faces were wide and fear struck.

Gohan chuckled and, unexpectedly, chucked the guns behind him over the edge of the bridge. He then pointed his finger at the two and turned it around, gesturing them to come and get him. The young Saiyan smirked while doing this.

"Lets make this fair", said Gohan. The guards, having recovered from their shock lowered their hands and crouched down on all fours. They were crouched into a pouncing position and bore their teeth, growling low in a menacing manner. Gohan smiled, holding up his fists.

"Bring it on."

Immediately, the two dogs leapt at him, baring their claws and their teeth. They let off a loud bark as they leapt at their target. But before they could even reach him, Gohan had already leapt back so that his hands were holding onto the railing he was sitting on and held both his feet up.

Just as the guard's were within arms reach, Gohan threw both his feet forward, smacking both dog's in the gut and sending them over the edge on the other side of the bridge where the two disarmed guards were huddled up before. The double kick sent both dogs soaring through the air and over the chasm, but when they lost momentum speed, they both plummeted into the chasm below. Their howls and cries were heard echoing down the chasm.

Seeing his opponents lost, Gohan pushed off the railing and back onto his feet on safely on the bridge, dusting off his hands and grinning wildly. "That was easy."

"**_Hey Gohan, are you OK. Did the guards get you"_**, asked a panicking Bentley through his ear piece. Gohan smiled and turned towards the casino, beginning a relaxing stride towards the front entrance.

"Don't worry about it Bentley, I took care of them, and without alerting the alarm system either", replied Gohan, placing his hands on his hips and looking up at the large fire hydrant building above him. He heard Bentley sigh in relief.

"**_Thank God for that. But hey, do you have a plan on getting into that place, I mean, it looks pretty durable. I don't think even you can break through solid steel."_**

Gohan smirked. "Obviously you don't know me that well Bentley. Just watch!" replied Gohan. Slowly dropping into a fighting stance and pushing all his strength and weight into his hind quarters, Gohan shot forward, straight at the bulletproof glass doors dividing him from the inside of Muggshot's penthouse interior.

With a single elbow, Gohan smashed through the glass like it were nothing. The glass door shattered into millions of pieces and were sent flying everywhere from the blow. But what should have ended there turned out to be only the beginning as Gohan kept on running on. He burst through several other layers of steel doors down the wide and less decorated corridor up to Muggshot's casino before suddenly bursting into the central room of the casino. The instant Gohan barged into the large room, at the same time sending the final double steel doors blocking his way flying to the sides, he had caught the attentions of all the guards in the room, their heads immediately shooting in his direction in surprise. Two the guards who were the same type of guard Gohan had taken out at the entrance were sitting at the table in the middle of the room playing cards while another two riot guards standing in a corner and talking turned as well, ceasing their conversation for the time being.

Gohan smirked as he stood at the shattered entrance to the casino, his eyes glancing at all four guards stationed in the room. He had to admit his entrance was rough and he ruined the setup of the entire casino pretty badly.

The room was carpeted red and from where he was standing, it looked more like the interior of a mansion then anything else. There were two water fountains to his left and right built into the room with exotic bushes circulating the basis containing the water. Ahead of him past the guards sitting at the central table was a stair case that led up to the upper levels but on the level between the second level and the floor was a steel double door inside the mouth of what appeared to be a plastic made face design of Muggshot. Aside from that, there were chandeliers hanging up on the high roofs shaped as dollar signs and were sparkling a painted gold. To complete the look, there were three slot machines against the wall next to a registration booth with some valuable looking statues lying around.

The riot guards weren't dogs like the ones dressed in tuxedoes but guards wearing blue bulletproof armor weave with full on helmets hiding their faces and heads completely. They also had metal batons for settling any riots that shook up around the casino when it was open.

Taking a few steps forward, Gohan held out his hand and smiled. "Knock-knock!"

With that yell, Gohan released a psychic wave of energy that sent the central table and the people sitting at it flying straight through the air across the room. The table, including the guards smashed into the giant Muggshot faces doorway, the table shattering into splitters against the nose of the oversized and ugly mug while the guards slammed into the eyes, breaking their glassy surface before falling to the floor along with their cards, chips and pieces of table with a loud thud. Their guns were broken as well.

Lowering his arm, Gohan shot his gaze towards both riot guards who had their batons drawn and were running at him full pelt. The first one to reach Gohan was the tallest of the two, this one stopping just short of Gohan and raising his baton wielding arm, ready to strike. Gohan smirked and, faster then the guard could see, ducked down low and elbowed him in the gut, making the guard lurch forward in shock and in tone with the blow, his hand releasing his hold on the baton.

While the guard was leaning forward with a fist indent in his bulletproof suit, Gohan leapt up and spun through the air, sending a roundhouse kick at the guards face or, helmet visor, smacking him hard and shattering the helmet in the process. The guard staggered backwards violently, knocking into his friend who was still running at Gohan and knocking both of them back.

The double hit set of a chain of events, both guards staggering back rather quickly and out of control, causing both of them to trip over the wall of the water fountain, over the plants and fall into the water filled basins of the water fountain on the left side of the room. Both guards were gone in a splash.

Landing lightly on the ground, Gohan smiled at the fountain, seeing and hearing the bubbles from both drowning guards lifting up to the surface of the water. It was quite amusing when he thought about it.

"That takes care of them", said Gohan, his arms by his sides and posture firm and high. With that settled, he moved onto more important matters, turning towards the room around him, he saw that there was a lot of stuff to be had including some good looking statues of all sorts, cash lying around on several of the surrounding tables and the diamonds fitted into the chandeliers.

Shrugging, Gohan gave in to temptation and started pinching stuff from here and there. Soon, almost all the cash on the tables, diamonds making up the golden chandeliers and a couple of the smaller statues were stashed in the brown bag Gohan had brought along with him. He had the huge and heavy bag slung over his shoulder and tried his best not to let any of the contents spill out. How so, well he tied the open end up so that nobody but him could access it without ripping the bag open.

Putting the bag down at the foot of the stairs, Gohan let out a sigh and wiped his forehead. It only took him two minutes tops to grab as much of the loot as he could and it was pretty hard prying the diamonds out of the chandeliers up on the roof without breaking them.

The young Saiyan smiled and placed his hands on his hips while looking down at the loot he had stashed away in his bag. "Sly Cooper eat your heart out."

He then turned towards the ugly mug shot of Muggshot himself and furrowed his brow in thought. _"Now how am I going to get into there without alerting anymore guards? I don't want my loot disappearing while I'm handling Muggshot. My senses are telling me that this isn't going to be as easy as it seems. Do I really need to reach that level?"_

Shrugging, Gohan looked around the room for any lever that would open the steel blast doors of the giant Muggshot at the top of the stairs. After looking around the many other statues and stuff he had left in place, Gohan suddenly came across a giant lever stationed behind the register desk. Blinking a couple of times, Gohan decided what the heck and jogged over to it with his bag in tow.

Leaping on top of the desk, Gohan reached out and pulled the lever up with a flick of a finger. It was quite a big lever and looked really heavy but with very little effort, Gohan was able to switch whatever it was he was switching. The switched clicked at being moved and when the buzzing of electricity sounded in Gohan's ears, he turned back towards the steel doors built into Muggshot's mouth.

As expected, the steel doors lifted free and open with the sounds of gears working tirelessly and heavily at work. The young Saiyan blinked as the doors slowly parted, leaving a good, clean way into Muggshot's suite. The dark entrance made Gohan smile.

"_Heck, much better then wasting my energy into busting that thing down."_ Leaping off of the desk Gohan ran up the stairs and stopped in front of the entrance to Muggshot's suite. He looked down at the base of it to see the two guards he had slammed against the entrance way still unconscious and, after looking from left to right and whistling in a casual manner, Gohan bent over and picked pocketed them, pulling out whatever they had, including their wallets.

Upon looking at the stuff in their pockets, the young Saiyan nodded in approval. He had managed to yank out two golden pens, a golden Rolex, a ruby, a diamond incrusted ring and two credit cards. Though it was kind of cruel, Gohan just left the credit cards and took the rest of the gear he had managed to swipe, slipping the Rolex onto his right wrist and examining it in admiration.

He whistled as the watch sparkled in the light. "Nice… got to be at least worth four grand."

"**_What was that Gohan",_** came Bentley's voice through the air in Gohan's ear piece. The young Saiyan looked around and stuffed the rest of the contents he had taken into his back pocket.

"Uhh… nothing Bentley it was nothing", replied Gohan. Bentley was a little suspicious at Gohan's tone of voice but let it slide a few seconds later, figuring it was nothing.

"**_OK then, whatever you say. What's your status?" _**asked the turtle curiously.

Gohan scanned the maw of the Muggshot doorway and shrugged. "Well, I'm already inside, I've dealt with the guards and my next stop is Muggshot himself. I'm not sure about the rest of the security; maybe the Fiendish five weren't as cracked up as they said they were."

"**_Maybe that's because you're you, you can get these guys no sweat",_** concluded Bentley. Gohan sighed.

"Yeah, I know." He then smiled and looked up. "Well, best not stand around. I'd better finish this soon before more guards arrive."

Gohan then continued on, stepping into the doorway before jogging the rest of the way towards Muggshot's suite. He only had to travel through the corridor for a few meters, trying not to trip over anything since it was so dark before exiting into a far larger room then the room he was previously in.

The room was carpeted red with walls of marble and old, carved to form a 1940's ballroom. It was decorated with two large chandeliers, statues and had piles of money piled everywhere that had been stolen from banks over the years. There was also a large amount of gold and loot lying around too. This place was far more extravagant then the rest of the penthouse and was certainly more elaborate then Sir Raleigh's mansion.

Walking down the few steps from the corridor he had exited out of and only the actual ground floor of the room, Gohan walked forward towards the man sitting in the royal couch on the opposite end of the room. But this wasn't just any large man, it was Muggshot. And by golly he was emitting quite a high ki level he could be classified as a Legendary Super Saiyan.

The over muscled Bull dog known as Muggshot leaned over in his chair, his hands on his arm rests as he watched Gohan step towards him, only to stop in the centre of the room. Muggshot was indeed a dog and was purple in color. He wore orange and yellow striped trousers and a white muscle shirt. His legs were insignificant compared to his arms that were the size of tree trunks and looked to be able to lift a building itself. Muggshot didn't really have a pretty face and was no pixie; he had large blue eyebrows, small beady eyes, a large jaw lining and a large mustache.

The two thieves stared at each other for a moment, the silence edging on for several seconds before either of them spoke. To speak first was Muggshot himself.

"W-What?! My boys have been yapping about some big mysterious dude running around, cracking skulls and… and… and this is it!? You're the monkey wrench in my operation. Some scrawny rat bucking for a body builder", growled Muggshot in a true American Western accent, his tough on attitude adding to his actual build.

Gohan crossed his arms and looked Muggshot up and down as he sat in his chair, glaring down at him. "Sorry to disappoint you Muggshot, but I'm shutting down your game right here and now. You can either hand over those pages of the Thievius Raccoonus you have in that safe under your chair, or face the consequences because I'm not in the mood for playing around!"

Muggshot's eyes opened wide. "What!? Bu… ho… wh…" the large bull dog stammered. "H-How do you know of those pages I stole from that old rat", asked Muggshot. Gohan frowned and pointed at the gigantic dog about three times his size.

"Let's just say I know the son of the one you killed. And let me make it clear to you on one more thing… I'm going to get you back for what you've done", said Gohan threateningly. Muggshot blinked a few times in surprise but then grinned evilly, leaning back and letting out a chuckle. That low chuckle slowly turned into laughter and soon enough, the big dog's laughter echoed all around the room. From what Gohan can hear, there was nothing funny about it.

Muggshot stopped laughing a few seconds later, reaching up with one of his enlarged hands and wiping a tear drop that had formed in his eye form laughing so heavily. "Ohh… you're too much kid. Tell you what. I'll let you have those pages for free… if… you can beat me in a fight. A man as tough as you demanding revenge definitely thinks he can win in a fight against me. And seeing as you're so confident, I'll honor your request! LET'S ROCK!"

Gohan smirked and dropped into a fighting stance. "Bring it on you ugly mug!"

Instantly, after rebutting Muggshot's demand, the giant bull dog got up from his chair and, using his arms as his legs, stomped towards Gohan before stopping ten meters in front of the young Saiyan, dropping to his small legs and pulling out two machine guns from behind him. He loaded both of them and held them up in a gangster like manner, a wide grin plastered on his face.

"OK big shot! Have it your way!"

Suddenly, Muggshot threw both his guns forward and aiming the barrels sights on Gohan below him, fired off a barrage of bullets at the young Saiyan. Before the glowing red hot bullets flying through the air could strike Gohan, the young Saiyan crouched low and leapt into the air, avoiding the bullets that tore apart the carpeted floor at their feet where he once stood. Bullets continued raining down on the spot Gohan was once standing, Muggshot unaware of his opponent's movements before it was too late.

Looking up, Muggshot saw his target flying at him, his leg cranked back and a serious scowl on his face. The ugly dog looked really surprised and, unable to move his still firing guns at his target, was smacked straight across the face. Though, he wasn't surprised at the results. The kick Gohan had thrown at his cheek with his shin colliding against it, the blow, though causing a tremendous shock wave to echo around only moved Muggshot's head to the side for a few centimeters.

Gohan looked shocked. With his leg still connected to Muggshot's face and pressing against his cheek, Gohan slowly moved it, his ki keeping him suspended in mid-air. Muggshot, having recovered from the shock of the force Gohan had unexpectedly used chuckled evilly and, dropping his now empty guns, cracked his fists and grabbed Gohan's leg with his left.

"You got stuff rat! But it's not good enough to beat me! You break into my place, steal my stuff, trash the joint and demand a fight for which you can't even give! I FEEL SO VIOLATED!" Letting out a loud, angry growl, Muggshot threw Gohan over his shoulder before throwing the young Saiyan at the ground. Gohan connected with the ground with a loud thud, the earth shaking and the carpeted floor he was hammered on cracking and denting with his outline traced into it.

Gohan was shocked nonetheless and his head was ringing from hitting the floor so forcefully. He groaned in discomfort, feeling his leg being released from Muggshot's grip as well as feeling Muggshot back off, chuckling loudly.

"Now that's what I call a crater", said Muggshot. Gohan, still shocked from being thrown to the ground, staggered to his feet and turned around, gripping the side of his face which was bruised up. Amazingly enough he also had a bleeding lip to accompany his ringing head.

The young Saiyan glared up at Muggshot and, after rubbing his soar face a couple of times, smiled and crouched into another fighting stance, a grin crossing his lips. "Alright Muggshot, you want a fight, bring it on!"

"With pleasure", replied the bull dog, cranking back his fist and, at the same time as stepping forward, threw his fist at Gohan. Gohan sidestepped the plummeting fist, seeing the punch strike the ground and form a small crater where it struck, followed by the shaking of the entire building. Muggshot growled in annoyance at seeing his opponent dodge the attack and as fast he could, pulled his fist out from where it lay embedded.

It wasn't fast enough though and, while he was pulling out his fist, Gohan balled his own fist and leapt up at Muggshot's face, sending his left fist straight up at the giant bull dogs face. The quick fist struck Muggshot's face but with little effect, only causing a large shock wave from the force o the low and pushing Muggshot back a foot away from where he was, his head also pushing back from the punch.

Gohan, continuing his assault and keeping himself suspended in the air using his flying technique, sent a right punch at Muggshot's face. That attack too struck head on, causing a shock wave but no real damage except knock Muggshot back another few centimeters.

Gohan was getting more worried and anxious because he was putting full strength and energy into his attacks. So, not wanting to disappoint himself, kept up his assault. Cranking back his left fist again, he sent a upper cut into Muggshot's chin. Alas, the same results as his previous punches, the blows only managing to push Muggshot back a few centimeters. His expression didn't even change; it just remained serious and blank.

Pulling back from his upper cut, Gohan cranked back his right fist so that it was behind him at shoulder height and sent it forward again; striking at Muggshot's left cheek with a powerful hook. The blow moved Muggshot's face to the side, including his body a bit but not enough to damage him. Gohan followed up his attack by pulling back his fist and, with Muggshot's face still titled to the right along with his body, Gohan sent a swift left knee up at the giant dog's chin, smacking him with the resounding shock wave that appeared with all the other blows he had landed on Muggshot.

To finish off that attack, Gohan gained a little bit more altitude and, spinning around in the air, sent a right back-roundhouse kick at Muggshot's right side of the face again. His heel connected heavily against Muggshot's cheek. But nothing changed, it remained the same. The same effects as all his other attacks occurred.

After that attack, Gohan returned to a fighting stance in the air but this time, pushed back, flipping backwards to put distance between him and his opponent and landing on the carpeted floor once again. He took a defensive stance this time and awaited Muggshot's retaliation.

Muggshot however was using this time to get back into a proper position and, rubbing his chin and face, grinned, revealing his still, toothy grin. "Nice kid, but you're still not strong enough. THIS…is how it's done!"

Gohan gasped when Muggshot suddenly appeared in front of him and low in a running position. He was so shocked at his speed that he didn't notice the right uppercut embedded in his gut by Muggshot before it was too late. The blow lifted Gohan off the ground and caused a shock wave as well, knocking the wind out of the young Saiyan. Muggshot followed up that attack by sending his left fist across Gohan's face.

The blow sent Gohan spinning in the air, making the young dazed and, while Gohan was slowing down from spinning and falling back to the ground, Muggshot grabbed Gohan by the face with his right hand and pushed him the rest of the way into the ground. Gohan was forced into the ground, Muggshot's strength forming a crater beneath Gohan and damaging the young Saiyan quite a bit.

Gohan groaned against Muggshot's palm as Muggshot's entire weight was shifted onto his face. But before Gohan was pushed straight through the ground and into the basement the young Saiyan managed to push himself off the ground just enough to send a side kick up at Muggshot's left cheek with his right foot, causing maximum impact. The blow was enough to knock Muggshot and his arm back, releasing Gohan from his death able grip.

Muggshot staggered back more then what Gohan expected but it was enough for Gohan allowing the young Saiyan leaping to his feet and taking a powering up stance. Glaring at Muggshot who had regained his balance and was standing in a fighting stance of his own, Gohan growled, baring his teeth and raising a fist in anger.

"Okay Muggshot! You're stronger then what I gave you credit for but this is not going to last. I'm not going to let you WIN!" cried Gohan, balling his fists at his sides and letting out a loud yell. Instantly, a golden aura burst around him, followed by the appearance of blue lightning, the stiffening of his hair as well as its change from black to gold and the flashing of his once black eyes to turquoise.

Gohan's sudden transformation to Super Saiyan 2 sent debris and cash flying everywhere, accompanied by a enormous shock wave, a gust of wind and the formation of a large crater at his feet. The winds caused by his energy nearly knocked Muggshot off his feet but it was enough to disintegrate the Chandelier's and rip a gaping hole in the roof above and through the hole, the golden light and electricity from Gohan's energy could be seen shooting up and out into the clear blue sky above.

This strange phenomenon was felt, seen and sensed by everyone within a 5 mile radius, especially by Bentley, Sly and Murray who were gaping at Muggshot's penthouse from the van. Bentley's glasses nearly slipped from his nose as he started typing up readouts of Gohan on his computer. His satellite dish was able to detect the energy waves radiating off of Gohan as well as anyone else, even if it weren't brought out.

"**_Astonishing! Gohan's heart beat has decreased to one beat per five seconds and his durability as well as his strength has increased ten fold! He's now the fittest and strongest man in the world! Unbelievable"_**

Gohan was glowing in a bright, golden light of energy that waved at a rapid pulse, sending wind and dust everywhere. His now, turquoise eyes bore deeply into Muggshot's with a serious scowl on his face. His clothes have lit up in his energy as well, and his hair waved with the energy generated by his Super Saiyan transformation.

Muggshot stared in shock at Gohan as he floated above the crater below him, the giant bull dog backing off in fear at the sight. He had never seen anything like it before and absolutely refused to believe what he was seeing.

"W-What is this!"

Gohan sharpened his glare, a flicker of blue electricity shooting past his face. "My family's legend!"

In an instant, faster then the naked eye could see, Gohan charged at Muggshot and embedded his elbow into his gut, knocking the wind out of the gangster and toppling him in a split second. Muggshot's eyes were open wide and his body was hunched over. Gohan still had his elbow stuck in Muggshot's belly and was staring at the place where he struck Muggshot with a venomous glare.

After a few seconds of remaining in their positions, Gohan slowly removed his elbow from Muggshot's gut and stepped out of the giant dog's attack range, turning his back on the purple dog with his fists balled at his sides. Starring ahead of him, Gohan heard Muggshot fall to his knees behind him before falling flat on his face, arms crossed over his belly.

Muggshot, shocked and stunned at the same time, tremblingly looked up at Gohan standing above him, back turned. The gangster tried his best to not lose consciousness.

"All right… you win. The pages… are yours! But… if you want the rest… of that picture book! You're… going to have to go down… to Haiti and cross paths… with Miz Ruby! And then… believe me… you don't want to be you!" chocked Muggshot. _"This is impossible… how can a pipsqueak like him… beat a big strong bruiser like me… it ain't right!"_

With that, Muggshot lost consciousness.

It was over…

* * *

_**Gohan's thoughts…**_

"The pages Muggshot had in his possession belonged to some of Sly's closer relatives in the mid-west, including his gun slinging ancestor, Tennessee Kid Cooper. It was this ancestor of Sly that invented the rail walk, and rail slide. Moves perfected from a life time of theft in the old west. These were common abilities Sly knew how to do already but I know that he would want these pages back either way."

"With Muggshot down and out and his gambling Empire in a shambles, people in America could finally sleep peacefully, knowing that Muggshot was beat. But then again, with all the stolen treasure lying about his royal suite, it would be a shame to leave… _all_ of it lying around."

"Powering down from my transformed state and collecting as much of the loot as I could, not to mention tying up the unconscious Muggshot, I headed back to rejoin Sly and the others with the pages to the Thievius Raccoonus in tow. After that fight with Muggshot I did feel a bit light headed. But it was nothing to worry about; I've taken more hits that would even make Muggshot cringe. It was only the effects of the Second level transformation acting up."

"It died down soon enough. But that was the least of my troubles…"

"Getting out of town proved to be a little bit more challenging then getting in when Videl Satan and her police forces arrived at the scene the moment I was just exiting Muggshot's penthouse."

"It was always wonderful sight, seeing my favorite cop woman in action. It was her that made my life more worth while. However my presence wasn't required at the scene so I left, leaving my calling card on Muggshot's chair before hand. Having just missed us, Videl arrested the next best thing, and threw that canine steroid case off to jail. Videl's story was pasted on the front page of the newspaper, with me keeping a copy under my case of valuables by the way, making her the hero of all of Utah."

"With Muggshot safely behind bars, Mesa city folks started to return home, and they could finally rest peacefully."

"Me and the boys, already loaded with the loot I had…'borrowed' from Muggshot's penthouse, we locked away and spent whatever time we had left in the states on a holiday, touring the U.S and doing a little shopping before returning home to Paris, ready for our next heist."

* * *

_**Character power level updates:**_

Cooper gang:

_Sly Cooper: 890_

_Murray: 1,015_

_Bentley: 50_

_Gohan: 150,000,000_

_Super Saiyan Gohan: 280,000,000_

_Super Saiyan 2: 480,000,000_

Fiendish Five:

_Sir Raleigh: 500_

_Sir Raleigh (bloated): 1,220_

_Muggshot: 250,000,000_

Interpol:

_Inspector Carmelita Montoya Fox: 625_

_Inspector Videl Bideru Satan: 880_

Other:

_Sir Raleigh's riot guards: 115_

_Muggshot's guard dogs: 125_

_Muggshot's riot guards: 150_

_Interpol Police: 200_

TO BE CONTINUED…


	6. Vicious Voodoo

DRAGONBALL Z **meets _Sly Cooper_**

VICIOUS VOODOO

_**Gohan's thoughts…**_

"The next member of the Fiendish five we were after now was the infamous Voodoo priestess Mz. Ruby. An anthropomorphic alligator raised by a family of Mystics."

"Because of her upbringing into this unusual family, she was feared as a child and didn't make many friends. Her abilities to summon the undead added up to the number of the many friends she didn't have. These mythical abilities were considered inhumane by the outsiders from her circle of life, thus, putting her in a world of her own."

"Years of bitterness led an adult Mz. Ruby to crime, punishing those who feared her as a child. Her abilities to bend and twist the laws of both man and nature, earned her a place in the Fiendish five as Chief Mystic. She was so powerful, that even with the slightest touch of her magic was able to kill an ordinary human being."

"When the Fiendish five became known world wide, the member they mostly feared was Mz. Ruby, but after the attack on the Cooper home, she managed to slip into obscurity, away from civilization. Her last known sighting was said to be hidden deep within the Haiti jungles, where a number of investigators mysteriously vanished."

"As strange and as scary as it sounds, the gang and I had no choice but to in after her, deep into the unknown. Those pages of the Thievius Raccoonus must be found, and what we started… we must finish it!"

_**Haiti Jungles…**_

_**Outskirts of Mz Ruby's skull temple**_

Dark, swampy, marshy and spooky, that's how this place could be described. The next destination for the Cooper gang wasn't quite what they expected it to be, but it was understandable… for a giant alligator and mystic to live in a place like this. It was the perfect hiding place for a member of one of the largest criminal organizations to go into hiding and commit crimes without the need to leave the safety of her fortress.

It was dark and misty out here, and the only source of light was the moon floating high in the sky and a few lit torches positioned on some nearby statues. There were a lot of thick vines hanging around and the branches from the trees and their roots provided the objects needed for Sly's stealthy character. It was perfect.

The Cooper van was parked some distance away from the gates into Mz. Ruby's corrupted sanctuary and was hidden away under a tree close to the road they had just exited from to get to this place. With it back turned towards the deadly path leading to Mz Ruby's fort, it was all set for the departure and arrival of one, Sly Cooper.

As expected, the sneaky Raccoon leapt out of the back of the van and dashed over the solid ground the van was parked on. After only a few steps, Sly suddenly found his foot entrenched in something smelly and sticky. He stopped dead in his track, still in a running position as a shiver ran up his spine.

Cringing, Sly slowly lifted his right, forward foot up and glanced at his boot. He had stepped in a muddy puddle close to the edge of a marshy swamp. A thin layer of mist hovered over the swamp with only a few visual signs of reeds, grass and tree roots sticking up from under the mist. Because of the mist, he couldn't tell what were water, mud and land.

The Raccoon sighed and scraped his foot against a nearby stone, wiping the mud off his shoe before placing his foot back on solid ground but not in the muddy puddle he had stepped in and stood up straight, his hands on his hips and his cane flung over is back.

The van was only parked about 10 meters behind him and since the doors were still open, it allowed the gang to communicate with the Raccoon without the use of the Binocucom or the ear piece. Though the interior of the van, you could still see the flickering of lights from Bentley's computer and the visual signs of life. Well, now you know they weren't dead.

Peeking his head through the van's back doors, Gohan raised an eyebrow at Sly's back in curiosity to why Sly had stopped. What was holding him back and why hasn't he gone yet?

"Hey Sly, you OK", asked Gohan. Sly smiled and glanced over his shoulder.

"Nothing Gohan, just stepped in something… revolting", replied Sly. Gohan blinked a couple of times and shrugged.

"Don't see why something like that would stop you. Hurry it up already, Murray is getting more nervous by the second. You know how he doesn't like dark, spooky places", said Gohan. Sly nodded in response.

"OK, OK, I'll get to Mz Ruby as quickly as possible then get back to you guys as soon as I've taken care of her." Gohan nodded rather doubtfully before retracting his head back into the safety of the van.

Seeing Gohan disappear back into their safe house, Sly turned back to the obstacles and journey set out before him in the form of the dark and, adding into the details, smelly swamp. He didn't know why he said he would take this task but it was his turn, and he was going to see through to it to the end.

Taking in a deep breath, Sly turned towards the tree tops, his main vantage point. It was there where he discovered more sparkling blue aura's that were directing him towards a sneaky, thieving opportunity. This gave him a new insight on his first objective, getting to Mz Ruby's castle. He would be able to use the tree tops to get to Mz Roby's fort and perhaps use whatever means necessary to try and get to Mz Ruby's main suite. If his calculations were correct, it was a giant skull of a dragon taken from surveillance photo of the entire area.

Nodding to himself, Sly leapt up to the tree sheltering the van and landed on the thickest of the branches before turning back towards the next tree. Making an incredible leap and a spin through the air, Sly managed to land on one of the narrower branches on the tree next to the one he had clambered up. The tree he was in now hung over the misty swamp below and because he didn't know what was under that mist, he would have to be careful.

Looking up towards the next rows of trees before him, he saw that there were trees growing side by side but at zigzag like angles. After examining the bases and walls making of the tree trunks, Sly was suddenly struck by inspiration by the ninja spire jump and smiled wildly.

Concentrating hard, Sly crouched low on the branch he was on and leapt for the tree on growing on the opposite end of the marshy river, landing at a horizontal angle to the ground against the tree's trunk before swiftly pushing off and leaping towards the next tree in line again on the other side of the swampy river. Yet again he landed horizontal to the ground against the tree's trunk high above the swampy river and pushed off from it, flipping across the swamp and to the next one next to it.

He repeated this several times, avoiding the various giant spiders and insects flying or hanging around till he reached the tree he was aiming for. It was a large tree growing on a mound of land growing out of the marshy water below with vines growing down from it and leading towards different other trees, It were these vines that Sly planned to use to access Mz. Ruby's temple. The tree stood out from the rest of the tree for a few good reasons. It was taller then the rest of the trees and was growing in the middle of the marshy swamp, with several other smaller trees growing around it some distance away in mass quantities, leaving this tree as the only one within an area of 50 meters.

After reaching the large tree he was aiming for, Sly clambered up its side but using his cane to dig into the solid wall of the plant and hauled himself up onto the large branch that allowed him a complete view of the giant gate way leading into Mz Ruby's fort.

Pulling out his binocucom, Sly looked over the giant gateway through the darkness ahead of him. The sight was both disbelieving and unbelievable at the same time. The entire gate was built out of bone and cloth. The made doors for the gate were made out of giant wings with the lock being a giant skull welded onto the bones. These giant wings were covered in weaved together by cloth like material while built onto giant, wooden hinges attached to trunk sized logs roped together as the fence diving the fort from the outside swamp world. There were also torches tied to the pillars holding the giant gates, their red flames flickering brightly and lighting up the darkness that surrounded the forest. To add up to the defensive purposes of the fence, the ends sticking up out of the ground were sharpened into spears so that intruders couldn't climb up the fence and invade the premises.

Sly didn't know how anyone could get in anyway because of the giant creature lurking in the surrounding swamps especially the guards patrolling the front gate. They appeared to be two weasels/beavers patrolling the front gate, painted with voodoo symbols and wielding magic staffs. The torches attached to their staffs were burning brightly with a blue flame which lit up like a torch.

Sly narrowed his eyes on the guards, looking at the both of them before looking up to check the vicinity over the gate. Though blocked off from the interior of the fort, Sly could see the rooftops of what like an army camp. Since they were hut tops, Sly presumed it was an army created by Mz. Ruby herself since he was aware of her mythical abilities.

"**_SLY! CAN YOU HERE ME! SLY!"_** bellowed Bentley through the microphone as he communicated with the thieving Raccoon via the ear piece. Sly cringed, lowering his binocucom and removing his ear piece and staring at it oddly. He could swear he could see the sound waves escaping the ear piece itself and shook his head, placing it back into his ear before bringing his binocucom back to his eyes and scanning the horizon of Mz. Ruby's fort.

"Shhh… could you keep it down Bentley, I can hear you perfectly, just not so loud", whispered Sly. Bentley sighed.

"**_Oh good. I thought that the interference with the fireflies and the psychic rays of the temple itself would have disrupted our transmission. So anyway, what can you see from where you are?"_** asked Bentley. Sly shrugged as he looked over the gate in front of him.

"I'm in the giant tree overlooking the entrance to the base. I can see over it but only just and it looks as though Mz. Ruby has created an army or something. There are only two guards, both of them a crossbreed between a beaver and a weasel and are wielding some sort of staff", replied Sly. Bentley nodded and started reviewing what little information he had on Mz Ruby so far and perhaps some information on the mystics that had performed many voodoo arts in the past.

"**_Okay Sly, from cross checking's on the guards, I have discovered they are ancient beings resurrected by Mz. Ruby herself, and the staffs well… they appear to be some sort of weapon with the same effect and strength capacity of today's modern revolver. They strike like bullets so be careful",_** replied Bentley. Sly nodded with a smirk.

"If that's it, then entrance should be simple."

Putting away his binocucom, Sly crouched low on his branch and leapt out of the tree and down towards the two guards patrolling below. He grinned wildly at the plan he had devised for this grand entrance and was confident that it would work.

The two beavers were looking out at the swamp at the sides of the platform of dirt they were standing on; their backs turned to each other and the central ground free for any intruder to land on and by pass the guards. But Sly, who was about to land in between the two guards was not just going to bypass the. He knew how to handle them.

Landing in between the two guards who still had their backs turned to each other, Sly smirked and tapped his cane on the ground twice. "Shoot!" With that, he made a major leap on top of the bone gate in front of him, landing on the giant skull lock and turning around to watch the show.

Reacting immediately to the sound, both guards turned around and pointed their staffs at the source of the noise. With a few seconds charging time, both guards fired a burst of green, powerful energy at the spot where they heard the noise. Unfortunately, the person who had landed behind them was not there anymore and the instant they fired the powerful blasts of magic, the two blasts passed each other and struck the person opposite them. Meaning, both guards fired at each other, and the effects were quite instantaneous.

The blasts struck the guard opposite them, exploding in to a shower of sparks and sending both guards flying off the platform and landing into the marshy swamps behind them. Both guards disappeared with a splash, much to Sly's amusement.

"They're so stupid. I bet the dead are always like this", said the thief, turning around and jumping the rest of the way over the gate. He managed to do a full on flip over the massive gate and land on the other side. He was still chuckling in amusement from the sight of the two guards shooting each other but when he looked up; he stopped immediately, his expression turning to one of utter surprise.

Standing before him was at least 27 guards, the same type of guards Sly had faced before at the front entrance. The entire troop of 27 guards were surrounding him and cornering the young thief in a circle and were all glaring menacingly at him, brandishing their energy staffs. Sly sighed.

"Oh bugger…"

All at once, all 27 of Mz. Ruby's guards surrounding Sly let out a loud screech or war cry before pointing the glowing ends of their staffs at their target. Sly freaked, seeing the glowing hot centre of the crystals attached to their staffs glow a hot green and powering up with some sort of sparkling energy before the Raccoon leapt into the air, just as all guards fired their energy staffs.

Landing behind all the guards and away from their circle, Sly turned around to attack them if they had noticed his sudden disappearance. Unfortunately, or fortunately, it depends on how you look at it, the combined blasts from the staffs of all 27 guards caused a chain reaction. The blasts all entered at Sly's previous position all collided at once and, as soon as all 27 blasts of green mythical energy infused,. The central point of the fusion grew into a far larger ball of green energy.

Sly saw the light bellowing out from the crowds of guards still encircled around his previous position, seeing them all take a couple steps back before a sudden explosion engulfed them all in a ball of green and fiery red energy. All 27 guards were brunt alive, their bodies turning to ash before Sly's eyes. The explosion wasn't very loud, nor was the hurling of the winds caused by the explosion but as soon as the explosion died out, all that was left was a huge smoking crater and piles of ashes where the guards used to be standing.

Sly blinked a few times in shock where h stood and stared at the smoke rising from the crater before he was interrupted from his stupor by the voice of Bentley echoing in his ear. He cringed and placed his finger on his ear piece.

"**_Sly! What the hell happened over there! Are you alright",_** asked Bentley in concern. **_"Did you run into Mz. Ruby's army?"_**

Sly chuckled and nodded before looking back up at the crater before him. "I sure did, but I think they'll have to work on their aim a bit more…" replied Sly. "That last blast was off by a mile."

Bentley sighed in relief. **_"Well that's good to know. Where are you now?"_** asked the turtle. Sly shrugged and turned around, looking up and around the mass of huts he had landed in. He began walking slowly down a dirt made path and into the centre of the huts where a large bellowing flame was lit, sending ash and smoke into the air with the giant Dragon Skull illuminated in the background.

"I'm inside the fort and am making my way up to Mz. Ruby's main building, that Dragon skull thing that looks like a monument", replied Sly, pulling out his binocucom and scanning the entire length and form of the white, slightly cracked skull fitted on top of a tree carved to contain the giant skull situated over a lake of some sorts.

"**_That Dragon skull Sly is radiating with a mass of unnatural energy, my phenomenal meter is off the chart",_** said Bentley. Sly nodded with a smile.

"With those readings then I'm sure that is where we will find Mz. Ruby", replied Sly.

"**_I think you may be correct Sly, but how are you going to get in there?"_** Bentley's head suddenly appeared in the corner of Sly's visor as he took in more surveillance tape transmitted by Sly's very own binocucom. **_"I don't think you'll be able to break through that gate way entrance. And there is no other way in."_**

Sly smiled and pressed his finger to his ear piece again. "Don't worry Bentley, I've got a plan", replied the Raccoon, pressing a button on his ear piece so to change his transmission's route. "Hey Gohan, I need your help."

Gohan's voice suddenly appeared on line. **_"What's up Sly",_** asked Gohan. Sly smiled and walked round the camp fire situated in the centre of the camp so that he was in full view of the Dragon skull structure.

"Gohan, I need you for a little, demolition. Do you think you can fly over here and blast the giant front door built underneath the giant Dragon skull I'm staring up at", asked Sly. Gohan smirked.

"**_That's too easy…just give me a second."_** Transmission cut of at that point and, looking back over at the giant gate, Sly listened and watched carefully as Gohan suddenly appeared overhead high up in the skies above, a white aura surrounding him.

The young Saiyan flew straight over Sly, by passed the camp fire and, cranking back his arm, threw it forward, unleashing a powerful ball of hot yellow ki. The blast soared straight at the giant front doors and exploded on impact, destroying the door and sending shards of wood flying everywhere. Sly had to squint to see the results.

"**_Does that suit your purposes_**", asked Gohan as he past back over Sly and back towards the team van. Sly, looking back at the doorway entrance smirked and nodded.

"More then that Gohan, you've provided me with an easier route up to that entrance, thanks a lot pal", replied Sly, noticing the large branch that had fallen from the tree next to the entrance, cutting of the main path and giving Sly another toe. Because the entrance to Mz. Ruby's dragon skull temple was up on the cliff, the branch that had broken from the tree had landed with one side supported on top of the cliff edge while the other had landed next to the camp site below.

Gohan nodded and, not having to worry about a secondary blockage, flew back to base. The transmission between Sly and Gohan cut off once again as Bentley rerouted with Sly's ear piece and spoke up. **_"Great work Gohan that surely makes things a lot easier. Now Sly head on inside, I'm presuming Mz. Ruby is waiting for you. With her knowledge of certain things happening around the place, I wouldn't be surprised."_**

Sly nodded with smile and dashed towards the Dragon skull. When he reached the spot where the cliff was cutting him off from his journey, he took the shortcut provided for him by Gohan and, using his acrobatic skills, ran up the branch supplied as an upward ramp and reached the top no sweat. With the wooden doors blown off their hinges and lying in splinters, Sly ran the rest of the way into Mz. Ruby's temple.

Passing by the wooden doors, Sly sprinted through the dark and smelly hallway for a few meters before entering a new, much more sophisticated room. He was at the jaws end of the Dragon skull yes, but as soon as he passed by the front doors and into this room, it suddenly started to mover, up and down like an actual mouth, its jagged teeth striking each other or at different points.

Sly's eyes shifted round the entire structure, his ears open to anything out of the ordinary or dangerous. It was only looking down towards the back of the jaw did he notice one thing in particular, the figure head responsible for the building of this fort and the Chief Mystic of the Fiendish Five, Mz. Ruby herself. She was standing on her own at the entrance to the throat of the giant skull and moving her hands around in dancing fashion which Sly found very odd.

As soon as Sly's eyes settled on Mz. Ruby, the giant crocodile woman turned to him and, slowing her dancing pace down to a Tai chi pace, grinned, showing off rows of razor sharp teeth. For a crocodile, she was quite big and fat, her belly almost touching the floor almost and her attire included chains of golden encrusted necklaces, a pink vest and a red bandana. It was common attire for a gypsy.

"Hmm… I could feel that Cooper vibe coming, most distastefully bad Juju…" sang Mz Ruby, while still moving her arms around. Sly furrowed his brow and crossed his arms.

"Well, you give me the creeps to lady. Cooking up an army of ghosts isn't such a neighborly pass time", replied Sly, keeping his eyes on the dancing Mystic. Since she was an expert and psychic and unnatural manipulation, he had to keep on his toes if he is going to avoid or get out of any troubling situations.

The lady crocodile chuckled. "Oh… Sly, I see you mouth a moving… but all I hear is… blah, blah, blah! Well… if jaws need to flap, then let them flap! See you in the next world, Sly Cooper!"

Sly gasped when Mz. Ruby suddenly threw both hr hands forward and unleashed what looked to be a wave stream of green mystical energy. Thinking fast, Sly's eyes moved to the many spire like teeth sticking out of the water flooding the bottom jaw in front of him. Each of those jagged teeth offered an excellent jumping point and an effective way of getting out of the beams path.

Before Mz. Ruby's energy beam struck his position at the exit of the corridor, Sly made a leap, over the edge and towards the closest tooth sticking out of the water. Since it was just under the tooth lining, he didn't have to worry about the snapping of the upper jaw which continued to chomp at a rhythmical pace, the jagged teeth above in the upper jaw plummeting down before slowly moving up again.

Doing a second power jump in mid fall, Sly put some more height in his leap so that he could land on the sharp tooth and, following his ancestor Riochi Cooper's Ninja spire jump technique, spun through the air and landed with both toes supporting himself on the sharp tooth, ducking low so to avoid the incoming stream of Mz Ruby's energy beam moving around over head.

Mz. Ruby was all the way at the end of the jaw and he was still somewhere up at the front cutting teeth end of the structure so, Sly had at least a few sets of teeth to go so he could reach his target. Following the trail of misplaced teeth along the bottom jaw of the Dragon skull structure which were all covered by other, larger teeth, Sly leapt forward, using the sharp teeth as spire points and platforms as he made his way to Mz. Ruby. The crocodile woman focused her continuous attack on her opponent, the beam striking object after object and completely obliterating it as it followed Sly across the lake surface.

Sly was too fast for the beam though and, leaping onto the bone platform at the back of he jaw, drew his cane and struck out at Mz. Ruby who was now directly in front of him. Since her beam was too powerful to control, she didn't have time to move it into position to strike at Sly and got herself slashed across her stomach.

Mz. Ruby yelped in pain but the instant the cane had struck across her front, she vanished into thin air, only to reappear a few yards away on the other side of a gaping lake at the back of the Dragon skull. As soon as Sly found her again standing on another platform on the other side of the lake, it was then when he noticed the giant temple that was Mz. Ruby's. It was simply decorated primitively but with stylish yet necessary voodoo decorations such as skull's, shrunken heads, pillars of bone, skin of animals, and housed with dancing chickens. There were also stalagmites, stalactites and spider webs hanging about everywhere.

Sly growled in annoyance and pointed the hook end of his cane in the direction of Mz. Ruby in a threatening manner. "Get back here, you can't run away forever!"

Mz. Ruby nodded, still dancing in a odd way while flocks of chicken's and voodoo roosters jumped in and surrounded her, all of them dancing the same, slow ritual like rhythm in exact unison. They were practically all hopping from foot to foot in tone with the object made rhythm around them.

"Quite true, quite true… why don't I have my servant…Chummily escort you over here?" suggested Mz. Ruby, a hint of mischief edged in her voice. Sly raised an eyebrow.

"All right… what's the catch", asked Sly. Mz. Ruby shrugged innocently.

"Oh, not much, it's just a game I love to play with all my annoying guests! I want to see how well you pay attention", replied the mystic. Sly was confused. He knew he was a good reason, but what did this have to do with him heading over to the other side and clobbering the crocodile so he could get back what was his?

"What do you mean", asked Sly. Mz. Ruby.

"Well… I'm going to unleash my mighty mojo magic upon you! If you repeat what I do, you'll dodge it just fine! If not, you'll get zapped! Ha-ha", replied Mz. Ruby evilly. Sly placed his finger on his chin and nodded while thinking. It seemed like a good plan. If he could get to the other side without getting hit then he would be fine. Besides, the other ways around looked impossible.

"A little voodoo Simon-says huh? Sounds easy enough", he said, his ear perking up to this. Mz. Ruby grinned.

"Prepare to be surprised."

In the water set out before Sly at his feet, he saw a giant turtle appear on its surface and, identifying it as the servant Mz. Ruby had dispatched to transport him to the other side, Sly leapt on top of the giant turtle's shell and crouched into his symbolic thief stance. Preparing for what's to come and keeping his eyes on his opponent who was currently dancing among a horde of roosters, Sly went in for the attack, the turtle paddling away at a slow, sedated pace.

As soon as Sly had hopped onto the turtle, a beat created by the surrounding chickens and remaining guards under the command of Mz. Ruby began dancing a beat, the music created by them echoing around the entire temple as the show down between their leader and Sly began. The objects they used provided them the instruments they needed which they lacked such as eggs, sticks, stones and all sorts of material they used as instruments.

Mz. Ruby kicked off with the start of the Simon says, clapping her hands together and, closing her eyes in concentration, shot her right hand forward suddenly, releasing a beam of red energy that waved through the air before it shot straight at Sly.

In tone with the beat around him, Sly ducked and side stepped from the beams path on what little space he had and completed it by leaping over the beam when it struck out at his feet and landing on a single handed hand stand on the turtle shell. He grinned when the beam faded away and nodded, leaping back onto his feet and taking another stance, notifying Mz. Ruby that he was ready for the next barrage.

Mz. Ruby chuckled and, linking her fingers and hands together, leapt into the air while raising her hands before landing and throwing her interlocked hands now fists forward, unleashing a torrent of triangle shaped repeaters. The beams shot through the air as fast as the previous beam, forcing Sly to make a matrix like duck. The Raccoon watched as the beams passed over him with inches to spar before they had completely flown over him and he was able to get back to a proper standing position.

Standing on her tip toes, Mz. Ruby did a highly impossible twirl before stopping, facing her opponent's direction again at the same time, releasing a circular beam at Sly, the beam spinning through the air like Piccolo's Special beam cannon before it reached Sly's striking range. The Raccoon had a second to side step the attack. Instantly after sidestepping it… it vanished, allowing Sly to get his space back.

The mystic Mz. Ruby was beginning to get desperate as Sly drew closer up to a point where he was at least 15 meters away, enough that Sly could possibly make the jump the rest of the way. However, this led to Mz Ruby resulting to a more complicated attack. Still in tone with the beat, she made circle movements with her hands, moving her arms round her before throwing both hands together, cupped together like a Kamehameha wave before she unleashed a ball of purple energy. The crackling electrical ball shot straight for Sly and grew to a size the Raccoon could not avoid.

Mz. Ruby's over confidence at hitting her opponent proved to be her misfortune when Sly leapt cleanly over the ball of power energy. The ball struck the turtle he was standing on who was literally fried to a crisp before he power jumped the rest of the way and landed on the speck of land Mz. Ruby found herself situated on.

The roosters dancing around her immediately stopped and, in a crazy like fury, attacked Sly, their wings fluttering and their beaks enlarging to quite a big size so to attack their opponent.

Sly being the expert fighter as well as thief that he was spun his cane around him and struck out at all the attacking roosters with quick, strong attacks. His cane cut through them like a knife through butter as all 10 of the birds attacking him were knocked flying in all directions in a shower of feathers.

With Mz. Ruby's protectors fallen, Sly leapt at her and, holding his cane in both hands struck out at her with a chop attack. Mz. Ruby at the same time turned around and swiped at Sly with her tail, but the sneaky Raccoon managed to leap over that attack and complete his own, hitting the giant crocodile with a painful strike. The Mystic cried out in pain before she vanished into thin air once again.

Turning around, Sly saw her reappear on the giant platform over hanging the lake he had just traveled on and, with the beat still being played by the surrounding chickens, roosters and ghost guards, Mz. Ruby continued to dance. Despite her injuries, she was still able to dance and smile evilly down at Sly. The Raccoon then realized that Mz. Ruby wasn't as strong physically as she was mentally, giving him the advantage.

"Come now Sly… lets dance", growled Mz. Ruby. Sly smirked and followed the easiest route up to Mz. Ruby's position on that giant platform which he took to be her main lab of voodoo rituals. The easiest path took the form of a row of torches progressing upwards towards the overhanging platform like a stair case but much narrower and a lot less easy to proceed up.

Using the technique he had used numerous times before, Sly ran up to the torches and leapt onto the nearest one, balancing himself before continuing on, leaping, spinning through the air and coming to land on the next one. He repeated this on all 10 torches before coming to a final landing on the giant platform itself.

The platform was actually made of a giant log made frame filled in with dried up concrete and held in place by thick vines, making it hang from the roof and amazingly, keeping it still. Around him, he could see wooden table stacked with all sorts of natural and unnatural materials like bones, wooden pots and pans, spoons, a crystal ball and a bed which he suspected to be Mz. Ruby's. There was also a lot of blood lying around too.

The giant crocodile dancing in the centre of the platform raised her hands in a threatening manner and grinned, bearing her yellow, sharp teeth to the Raccoon. Sly frowned and took a fighting stance, one that he had taught himself over his years of training to become a master thief.

"Take this", yelled Mz. Ruby, throwing her right hand forward and extending her index finger. Exploding from her finger was a small bullet sized orange ball that sped like an actual bullet straight at Sly and grew in both speed and size as it went along.

Sly reacted quickly and leapt over the small bullet blast aimed at him, the attack striking the ground and exploding like a high powered blast, turning the spot he was standing into ash. The identifiable burn mark could be seen in the platform as soon as the explosion died down and by then, Sly had already landed some distance away from the explosion to the left and still within range of Mz. Ruby's attacks.

Mz. Ruby grinned and did a twirl, throwing both hands forward and unleashing the same sparkling ball of energy she had used before. The ball soared through the air straight at Sly and, just as it was about to strike, Sly rolled out of the way, the same effect as this attack occurring just like the previous one did, exploding into a shower of fire and sparks before disappearing, leaving a really bad burn mark.

Sly had rolled forward to avoid the blast and, when he was back on his feet, he ran at Mz. Ruby, brandishing his cane and cranking it back, ready to strike. Mz. Ruby saw Sly running at her and, grinning wildly, she clapped her hands together, opening up her palms but still keeping her fingers intertwined in a diamond like shape, she closed her eyes then suddenly opened them, revealing a pair of pure, glowing blue eyes. As soon as she opened her eyes, bolts of lightning began shooting out of the diamond she had formed out of her fingers, each bolt of electrifying energy shooting out at Sly as fast as a natural lightning bolt.

Sly rolled, jumped and sidestepped out of all the bolts of lightning that shot at him, all the while still making his way up to Mz. Ruby. She was constantly shooting the bolts of lightning out at him at a rhythmical pace pattern but all the while, missed her target. Soon , ducking under the last bolt of lightning, Sly began the ending on his full on attack, gripping his cane in both hands and pulled it back, ready to strike. He was within feet of the giant crocodile and now, he was going to finish it.

Mz. Ruby, seeing no hope at hitting Sly with her lightning attack without frying herself, disconnected her fingers, her eyes returning to normal before she pulled her hand back and sent it forward in a slap attack. Her hand glowed a bright gold as it was thrown at Sly who saw the attack coming and leapt over it.

With Mz. Ruby unable to block Sly's attack or disappear in time, Sly struck upwards with his cane, the hook end striking at Mz. Ruby's chin, throwing her back violently. With Mz. Ruby still falling back, Sly finished off his attack by spinning threw the air and kicking straight across Mz. Ruby's face, knocking her side wards to her right.

The beat produced by Mz. Ruby's remaining servants slowed to a stop the instant Sly attacked the mystic, the music ending with Mz. Ruby lying face down to the ground, her eyes looking up at Sly now standing above her, pointing the hook of his cane at her, a serious scowl on his face.

Mz. Ruby smiled, a trickle of blood running down from her bottom lip. "You've certainly got some rhythm Raccoon. But it won't help you none if you're fixing to go after the Panda King. He's tough, with a capital T! If you go poking around his strong hold in China… you're more likely to get poked BACK!"

Sly smirked and, reaching down swiped the mass of papers fitted in one of Mz. Ruby's pockets in her vest, reclaiming another section of the Thievius Raccoonus stolen from him. He examined the pages before looking back at Mz. Ruby, resting his cane on his shoulder and smiling confidently.

"Well, if he's anything like the rest of you, I think I'll manage…"

_**Sly's thoughts…**_

"Mz. Ruby's section of the Thievius Raccoonus held detailed files on my pioneering ancestor, Slytancammen Huckleberry Cooper, along with many other of my ancestors who had used their or his techniques and enhanced them in their heists. Huckleberry's invisibility technique allowed him to sneak into palaces and steal from corrupt pharaohs and greedy noblemen."

"I'm personally hoping to be able to use this technique in future heists, it may as well prove useful when camouflaging myself against the snow or other surfaces and objects."

"Right on schedule, Inspector Carmelita's Fox's arrival queued my exit. The production of zombies and crimes against nature, violated the laws made illegal in the World peace association, earning the voodoo priestess a one way ticket to a life time imprisonment in jail where she will be unable to perform anymore of her violating arts."

"Me and my gang were able to evade the Inspector barely enough to make our getaway as she and the rest of the police forces arrested Mz. Ruby and shut down her crimes factory. With another edition of Inspector's Fox's frontier appearances on the front page of the newspaper added to my collection me and the gang headed out for a little relaxing holiday."

"While I did some relaxing fishing, Gohan went for a swim along with Murray and Bentley. Bentley though, spent most of his time on the beach making sandcastles. It surprises me that he was such a talented artist himself perhaps I can take a little swimming lesson from Gohan one day and maybe get to know a little more about the arts of sandcastle making."

"After a short vacation to the beach, we headed on home, ready for our next heist."

_**Character profiles(s):**_

Cooper gang:

_Sly Cooper: 900_

_Murray: 1,030_

_Bentley: 60_

_Gohan: 155,000,000_

_Super Saiyan Gohan: 290,000,000_

_Super Saiyan 2: 490,000,000_

Fiendish Five:

_Sir Raleigh: 500_

_Sir Raleigh (bloated): 1,220_

_Muggshot: 250,000,000_

_Mz. Ruby: 500_

_Mz. Ruby (magic): 300,000,000_

Interpol:

_Inspector Carmelita Montoya Fox: 650_

_Inspector Videl Bideru Satan: 890_

Other:

_Sir Raleigh's riot guards: 115_

_Muggshot's guard dogs: 125_

_Muggshot's riot guards: 150_

_Mz. Ruby's ghost guards: 165_

_Mz. Ruby's suicide roosters: 1,000_

_Interpol Police: 200_

_Interpol Riot Police: 1,500_

TO BE CONTINUED…


	7. Fire in the Sky

DRAGONBALL Z **meets _Sly Cooper_**

_**FIRE IN THE SKY**_

_**Sly's thoughts…**_

"The road trip gave me and Gohan the time we needed to study up on, the Panda King."

"Born penniless on the streets of China, he was fascinated by the fireworks set off by the rich noblemen every New Year. Inspired by the brilliant fireworks displays, he spent a whole entire decade learning the art. He was exceptionally good at it too, but when he tried to offer his fire works to the noblemen, they couldn't see past his shabby clothes and chased him away."

"Enraged and humiliated, the panda King used the very tools of his art for crime and against those who shunned him. His punishing hand was first thrown down on upon the noblemen and from then on in, his obsession fell on the paths of destruction."

"The Fiendish five recruited him as their demolitions expert. The Panda King's skills and art that were added to the Fiendish five's table of organization soon became known world wide, his deadly touch feared by all those whom he opposed or worked against."

"Rumor has it that the Panda King was working on some new firework technique high up in the safety of the Kunlun Mountains of Western China. And that was where our next stop was. Amazingly enough, Gohan was willing to take on the Panda King himself, seeing that martial arts were up his alley, I did not hesitate. Now it was time to see whether Gohan's training and skills were enough…"

* * *

_**China…**_

_**High up in the Western Mountains**_

One word could be described about this place… cold! It was a big freezer to the extreme with the only forms of life being the guards walking around the base of the massive temple owned by the panda King.

Gohan, who had volunteered to go on this heist had his arms crossed and was scowling at his surroundings, taking in every bit of detail of the mountains before he moved in. It looked quite unstable but he was glad that there was just a steady snow fall and not a blizzard. If it were a blizzard, then he would have a hard time navigating.

After walking for about half an hour from the 'royal' Panda King gateways, he had found himself situated at the top of a cliff overlooking the panda King's base of operations, just like he had been when looking from the other side of the bridge dividing him from Muggshot's turf.

His eyes scanned the horizon of the temple and he almost let out a sigh that there was only cloud cover and no real visual contact of the other mountains in the distance. He had traveled to all different corners of the globe and had stolen from powerful figurehead criminals but nothing could compare to this. Here, the panda King wasn't just a thief but he had a real powerful grip on the mountain villages around his temple home.

Gohan had passed by deserted villages buried under tons of snow and knew that it had been the Panda King's work. No avalanche that big could have been caused naturally but by a high explosive charge such as the Panda King's 'accidental' fireworks displays. His methods were so unorthodox that it would be really hard for villagers in his palm to deny his demands. It were these methods that made the panda King such a success in his duty as demolitions expert, earning him vast amounts of pay, treasure and other valuables even he wouldn't have been able to get his hands on.

After careful surveillance, Gohan had gotten a full memory layout of the entire temple's layout. The temple was a giant statue of the Panda King himself carved into the side of the mountain and, working its way up to the shrine on top of the temple were many walkways and wooden buildings. Gohan suspected that they were but for him and his guards that walked around the place. At the foot of the giant structure though was a small river with a dam and crossing the giant, concrete dam were gorilla guards, each heavily armored with samurai armor and armed with jagged swords.

Gohan, frowning at the sight looked over his shoulder and at his monkey like tail appendage that swung loosely behind him. Thoughts of fighting these guards made him itch and he was beginning to get annoyed that he was forced to stand here and wait for Bentley to reline connection with him. The snow was throwing his ear piece and the satellite dish on top of their van into disarray.

After staring at his tail for a couple of moments, his ear piece crackled into life and Gohan turned back towards the temple while pressing the ear piece in his ear in so he could get a better frequency.

"Talk to me Bentley, what's your status", asked Gohan.

Bentley cleared his throat and then spoke. **_"We're all set Gohan. But what about you, have you got visual contact of the Panda King's temple yet?"_** asked Bentley. Gohan nodded and pulled his binocucom, looking up at the shrine like structure on top of the head of the statue of the Panda King. It glowed brightly and from observations, Gohan knew that that was where the Panda King was for sure.

"I sure do, the only problem is, that the Panda King's main safe house is located at the top of a 20,000 meter statue of himself. To add to it, its crawling with guards and the only thing standing in between me and my objective is the giant dam at the foot of the cliff I'm currently standing on", replied Gohan, changing the visual of his binocucom so that it was looking at the entire build of the stone dam below.

Bentley nodded, his face suddenly appearing in Gohan's binocucom in the same place as always so that he could see as well. **_"I see Gohan. So… what is your plan of action? I'm only saying this because the only way you'll be able to reach the panda King is by taking the route across the dam then make your way up level by level to the Panda King's suite against that stone structure of himself. Flying here is out of the question because the high winds here will mess up your trajectory."_**

Gohan nodded. "I know that Bentley but scaling that mountain will take forever. I've got a simpler way. If I can fly as close as possible to that structure without flying out of its range then possibly it would be able to supply me with the needed cover I need so I'm not blown away with the winds", said Gohan. Bentley shrugged.

"**_In theory it could work. But flying across that river would be impossible; you'll have to cross it on foot. Try sabotaging it in the process",_** said Bentley. Gohan raised an eyebrow.

"Why would I want to do that?" asked Gohan. Bentley grinned.

"**_Because that dam is the only power source to the generators running the Panda King's fireworks factory. If you destroy the dam, then you destroy the only power source to the factory, and with the factory out of commission, then there is no way the Panda King would be able to export and release his fireworks on the surrounding villages. Should you fail in defeating the Panda King then at least you would have taken out his factory"_**, said Bentley. Gohan smirked and lowered his binocucom, putting it in his own burglars pack before turning to the cliff's edge at his feet.

"Trust me Bentley, I won't lose… out!"

Leaping over the side, Gohan skidded down the side of the cliff like riding a skateboard. After a twenty story drop, Gohan landed at the base of the cliff he was on and onto the path that weaved past the cliff leading to the dam.

Looking up, Gohan saw the dam directly ahead, its path illuminated by lamps and lanterns. Using this path he would easily be able to infiltrate the Panda King's base of operations, sabotage it and take a straight flight up to his palace while destroying some of the walkways in the process. It was full proof.

Seeing one of the gorilla guards with his back turned to him standing at the entrance to the dam about 50 yards ahead, Gohan saw this as his chance and charged, his form disappearing into a blur and he flew across the dirt road before stopping directly behind the guard.

Leaping up, Gohan sent an elbow at the gorilla guard's neck, knocking him out cold, its body falling to the floor with a loud thud and a grunt. Gohan landed at that and looked behind him to see how his entrance was made.

He found out that when he charged at the guard, his flight had caused a great uprising in the setup behind him. The lamps were bent over because of the winds of his charge and some of the trees had lost a large amount of snow and leaves. But it was to no matter; he knew that it would happen.

Shrugging, Gohan looked back down at the gorilla unconscious at his feet. He found that this guard had three swords. Two were strapped to his back and a third was held in his grip. After staring at the gorilla for a few moments, Gohan looked to his right and left of the entrance of this dam.

Running along the dam's stone railings were lamp posts with lanterns hanging from them as the only source of light. Directly to his right was a guard's box, a basic structure made of logs and a roof that was used to house the guard he had just knocked out. There were no other guard houses along the dam's walkway, making it harder for him to avoid guard's flashlights and security systems. But what made up for the lack of cover was the lamp posts and the walkway's railing. They would give him an easy footing, literally.

Tilting his head to the side, he smirked. Out of the blue he suddenly felt a power level approaching him from behind and he knew exactly who it was. And he thought he had lost her back in Pairs.

Glancing over his side slowly and turning around at the same time, he came face to barrel with the familiar face of Videl Satan, the tough as nails raven haired girl who had the obsession of chasing him all over the place. The young Saiyan smiled while the blue eyed angel glared at him, pointing the barrel of her high powered, custom made pistol at him.

"Freeze Gohan", said Videl sternly. She had to be at least 10 meters behind him so Gohan didn't have to worry about anything that much.

"How can I freeze when my heart warms at the sight of you", asked Gohan. "It's good to see you again Videl."

The girl frowned and pulled back the firing pin on her pistol. "Don't go patronizing me. I believe we have a score to settle. You may have given me the slip before but I'm not going to be so easily lost again", said Videl. Gohan smiled more seriously and folded his arms over his chest.

"I'm not patronizing you Videl, I'm just marveled by your elegant beauty just showing up from the cold winters day. Why is it that seeing you always brings me warmth", asked Gohan. Though he knew the answer already but Videl didn't seem to get it. She refused to be flattered by such remarks and comments. He was a thief!

"Stop changing the subject Son! I'm here to bring you down whether you like it or not so put your hands up", said Videl, shaking out any indecent thoughts of Gohan and her together in her mind. She never gave a thought about why he kept on springing up in her mind.

Gohan sighed and shook his head. He had tried and failed again but he had fun doing so. He knew Videl had feeling for him and he knew he had strong feelings for her as well.

"Sorry Videl, I can't do that. Not unless you can give me one of those cops and robber's chases like we always do", said Gohan, giving her a wink. Videl gasped and blushed involuntarily but shook it out of her head and aimed her gun at Gohan's head. Even though she had gotten rid of those… strange thoughts, she couldn't get rid of the blush on her cheeks. She hoped Gohan couldn't see it.

Giving her a salute, Gohan took off down the dam's walkway at a human paced sprint. Videl was surprised at this move but, like she had so many times in the past done before, gave chase. Sprinting after the fleeing Gohan, she aimed her pistol at his back and fired.

Their footsteps echoed against the structure of the dam and the sounds of blaster shots could be heard, the pink blasts of high powered energy shots sailing through the air. Gohan, sensing the blasts approaching him from behind, ducked under them and sometimes rolled and flipped out of their path, the blats striking against the dam itself. Videl cursed when she missed him with those several shots and, charging her gun up to maximum, continued blazing away at him, not wanting him to escape. But that wasn't his plan.

Yes he may have been trying to get away from Videl but his plan was to allow Videl's shots to miss him and hit the dam. He had witnessed from previous encounters that the pistol she wielded could cause real damage to surrounding walls and objects and, because the dam was designed to hold back water and not bullets, it was the perfect target of Videl's rampage of blaster shots.

Sidestepping another few shots coming at him from behind, these bullets hit the guards running towards them from the other side of the massive dam, hitting them and paralyzing them. Their bodies fell in unconscious heaps onto the dam's walkway, putting an end to their duties. Since there were only three of them and they had all been heading towards them in a single line because of the how narrow the walkway was, it ended up in all of them getting hit.

Gohan used the railings as well to avoid Videl's shots, the shots striking at the railing and taking huge chunks of it from it host, sending it into the river below. There was a plan in this too. Gohan ran only on the left side of the dam's railings so that the shots taking the stone from its places sent the rubble falling to the structure on the flooding end. Using this, the rubble would clog the entire system and over flow it, causing a chain reaction.

Leaping off of the railing, Gohan decided to speed up the process and, powering up a high powered blast, leapt into the air and fired it at his feet, straight down into the dam's walkway, rupturing the entire structure.

Videl avoided the large gaping hole Gohan had made and continued chasing him, all the while still firing shots at the young Saiyan like there was no tomorrow. Gohan avoided all shots and, after a few minutes, he reached the end of the dam. When he reached the end, he turned around, his eyes setting on Videl who was at least twenty meters away. She was still running towards him and firing away, Gohan still had to avoid them.

Suddenly, one of Videl's misfires struck the remaining support pillar of the dam beside Gohan, the blast destroying the entire upper and middle part of the pillar and ending the dam's strong structure right then and there. Gohan growled and turned around. Videl was at least ten meters away now and was closing in. But she had less then a second before tragedy struck.

Videl cried in surprise as the dam shook violently, cracks forming around her and at her feet. She was only ten feet away from the exit to the dam and she was still on it. Gohan saw this and ran out, only to stop when a massive crack appeared in between him and Videl, that huge chunk of rubble she was situated on the walk way, sinking with a boom.

Suddenly, with the amount of pressure built up at flooding end of the dam and the amount of damage it had suffered from the firefight, it suddenly gave way, collapsing to the water it was holding back. The dam in a split second turned into rubble as a massive wave of water pushed the dam out of place, sending its floating debris everywhere.

Videl screamed as the dam gave way under her and she fell along with the rubble, the rushing waters passing mercilessly beneath her along with the rest of the dam. The entire structure was gone in a bang, the sounds of its position being ripped from the mountains sides echoing around them.

Swiftly, before Videl could fall another meter, Gohan appeared at the remaining part of the walkway still attached to the side of the mountain and caught Videl before she could be swept away, gripping hold of her hand and catching her. Videl stared up at Gohan while she hung where she was, looking up at him in surprise.

After hanging limply for a few seconds, Gohan effortlessly pulled her back up onto the cliff, the girl scrambling up the edge and crawling to the safety to the snow path beside the dam's walkway remains with Gohan sitting beside her. The instant she was back safely on solid ground, she encased Gohan tightly in her arms, shivering violently and gripping him for dear life.

Gohan was a little surprised at her reaction but smiled. He had expected her to be a lot braver then that. But then again she was still rather startled by the dam giving way and her nearly falling into the rushing abyss.

Videl whimpered in fear, pulling away slowly and looking up at Gohan but still keeping her arms around his well muscled body. She was sitting in Gohan's lap, but she didn't realize this as she was still recovering from her shock.

"W-Why", asked Videl. Gohan raised an eyebrow.

"Why what Inspector", asked Gohan curiously. Videl gulped silently, composing herself and mustering up whatever courage she had.

"Why did you do that? Why did you risk your life to save mine when you could have easily let me fall to my death? You could have gotten away and just ended your troubles right then and there", Videl continued. She knew she had given Gohan a lot of brass over the years of chasing him, but what was she going to do about it, she was just doing her job. But, she also felt she had upset him after he had tried to show kindness towards her and she had just rejected it.

Gohan was a little taken aback. As if she didn't know! He just let it slide and smiled, raising his right hand and pressed it against Videl's cheek in a show of affection. Videl just stared at him in surprise. "Because I care for you Videl, just because we're on opposite sides of the law doesn't mean we can hate each other", replied Gohan, caressing her cheek gently. "When I first met you, I instantly saw that you possessed qualities no other girl I had ever met had. You were strong in spirit, mind and body. You are also hard working and are as dedicated to your duties as your partner Carmelita. But most of all, you are the most beautiful girl I had ever laid eyes on."

Videl stared up at him in amazement. For once, she was actually listening to Gohan's comments instead of pushing them away and she was inwardly flattered by them. Gohan smiled and leaned in closer, his nose almost touching hers. "I've never met anyone with such strong determination and a sense of right and wrong. You're an amazing woman Videl, someone I would love to spend my entire life with."

Videl stared in awe up at Gohan. Still trembling, she raised a hand and ran it over his cheek. She examined every inch of his handsome visage, transfixed by his eyes and wonderful smile. She may have seen him as a crook, someone who devoted his life to stealing and crime but Videl knew that Gohan was different. He was much more different from all the other criminals. While others were cruel and perhaps heartless, Gohan was kind and gentle towards others. And after all this time, she had been chasing him without looking at him from different perspectives.

Now, her entire insight on the young Saiyan had changed. The little voice in hr head telling her that he's a crook and that it was a sin to let him into her circle, the area where she would let her guard down and show him her vulnerable side, a side that she kept hidden under her tough as nails attitude, confusing her black and white view.

Suddenly, she moved her hand so that it was grasped round his neck and, using her other hand, did the same. Now, with both her arms wrapped around his neck, she pulled herself closer to him. Gohan in turn lowered himself toward her, drawing closer to her as their breath grazed each other's skin, sending a tickle down their spines. Their lips parted slightly in anticipation as they closed the millimeter gap dividing them from each other.

Time stood still as soon as their lips met in a kiss, an endless dream kiss that lasted longer then an echo. Even the snow seemed to slow and come to a brief stop when the two kissed. Videl moaned silently and deepened the kiss, grabbing the back of Gohan's gi roughly and pulled herself as close as possible. Feeling Videl deepen the kiss, Gohan returned it and deepened his own, wrapping his arms around Videl's waste.

The kiss lingered for a minute or two before the two of them finally parted at a painfully slow pace. They hesitant though and both of them wished they couldn't breath.

Because they had closed their eyes during the kiss, they slowly opened their eyes gain and gazed into the other's eyes. Gohan's reaction wasn't really surprising but he did put on a smile while Videl was completely caught off guard. She hadn't expected to have kissed or to have received a kiss in return from Gohan and she certainly had not expected her first kiss to feel so good, so wonderful. Now it was definitely something out of a dream.

Videl blinked a few times and breathed a single word. "Wow…"

Gohan smiled more brightly and shortly afterwards, Videl smiled and slowly, the raven haired girl rested her head against Gohan's chest while Gohan wrapped his arms around her and rocked her gently. Videl sighed happily as she heard Gohan's slow, steady and peaceful heart beat.

"Gohan", she whispered softly. Gohan smiled and looked down at her, seeing that her eyes were closed and that she had a peaceful, loving expression drawn over her features. She looked as beautiful as ever. But in rain or shine, day or night, she would always look as wonderful like she always was.

"Hmm", Gohan replied. Videl opened her eyes and looked up at him.

"Do you really… well, you know… love me", she asked, a little bit nervous at the answer. Gohan smiled.

"Of course I do, why do you ask", asked the young Saiyan. Videl shook her head.

"I just wanted to be sure", replied Videl, embracing Gohan tightly again and letting her head rest against his chest. "Because I love you too Gohan…"

"I love you too Videl…"

The two continued to embrace each other for what seemed like hours, but when those few seconds past in the time they were affectionately embracing each other, Gohan suddenly remembered his mission and pulled away from Videl, the young raven haired girl surprised at his movements. Gohan smiled down at her and stroked her cheek in reassurance.

"Sorry Videl, but I've got a score to settle with the Panda King. I need to get back my friend's pages to his book", said Gohan. Videl blinked a few times before smiling again and nodded her head firmly.

"Then go ahead Gohan. I won't stop you… not until we meet again that is", replied Videl, giving him a wink. Gohan chuckled and pulled himself and Videl onto their feet and, still having his arms wrapped around the raven haired girl gave her a tender kiss on the lips, one which she returned.

When they pulled away, Gohan released his hold on her and saluted. "I'm looking forward to it…"

With that, Gohan shot off into the skies above, straight up to the top of the mountain like structure. Looking down, he could see Videl waving good bye to him, her form turning into a dot as Gohan climbed higher in altitude, pushing past the fierce winds that slammed against his side, trying to push him off course.

Videl continued to stare up into the sky, watching Gohan disappear into the blizzard. When he did, she lowered her hand and sighed happily. Of all the times she had been pursuing Gohan and had laid eyes on his handsome visage, this was the best of all those times _"I'll see you soon…Gohan."

* * *

_

Flying straight up to the top of the mountain was an easier task then he had expected, and when he was finally in view of the wooden shrine, Gohan shot straight for it, bursting through the roof and landing violently on the surface of the wooden floor built in favor of the Panda King.

Gohan had landed with his fist embedded in the ground and knelling down on his right knee while his left foot supported him. Since he was knelling down on the ground, his face was cast downwards, but when the dust and shaking of his shocking entrance subsided, he looked up, his eyes flashing a dangerous turquoise.

The instant he looked up, his eyes fell upon the illustrious panda King who was standing up on the very top of the central platform built upon layer upon layer of other platforms. Statues and chests of gold circulated the entire room and, being the only room making up the shrine, Gohan presumed that the pages to the Thievius Raccoonus were here somewhere.

But first, Gohan had the panda King to face before he could get his hands on the pages.

The Panda King was bouncing up and down from one foot to the other, his oversized belly shaking with each bound he made. The only clothes he wore were a pair of loosely worn shorts that took the form of a Chinese gi outfit. It was red and in color added with his symbolic orange and yellow flames symbol stitched to the side of his shorts. Holding his shorts to his waste was a red sash that was tied tightly with its straps hanging at his side.

The panda King had to be at least twice that of Gohan's size and, from careful examination of the giant Panda, Gohan saw that he had quite a high power level, something he had failed to recognize before. But this was no ordinary power level. It felt that the Panda King had formulated a new power level because the signature was far different from that of a regular ki reading.

Getting to his feet, Gohan balled his fists at his sides and glared up at the Panda King, seeing the giant fire works artist staring down at him with angry yet surprised eyes.

"I see you are a member of the notorious Cooper thief gang…Gohan. Have you come here to reclaim possession of the Thievius Raccoonus and avenge the death of your friend's father?" asked the Panda King in a deep, sort of slow voice. Gohan was rather startled that the Panda King knew who he was but merely shook it off, deciding to not show his surprised expression by keeping his expression plain, serious and blank.

"That's my plan of course, but now I'm a little more interested in putting an end to your avalanche extortion racket", replied Gohan, pointing out towards the surrounding mountains outside the Shrine. Because there were no exterior or interior walls blocking off view of the mountain ranges around them, the only thing holding the roof over their heads were the Shrine railings and pillars circulating the entire building.

The Panda King looked skeptical. "Why should you care if I bury a few worthless villages in snow? You are a thief, just like me!" proclaimed the Panda King. Gohan shook his head seriously.

"No, that's only half right. I am a thief and a warrior in my own right who steals from criminals like you and no from innocent civilians. While you, you're just a frustrated fireworks artist turned homicidal pyromaniac!" stated Gohan firmly, making sure he got through to the giant Panda.

The Panda King was outraged. "Insolent child, you shall pay dearly for your disrespect! Still, to honor you and your warrior like ancestry, I will send you to your doom, with the beauty of my new fire work technique…FLAME FU!"

Gohan frowned. So that was why the panda King's ki signature felt different. His ability to manipulate fire in his perfect technique inevitably changed his ki signature, making it accustomed to the high powered attacks he would be using. When it comes to such intensity, the panda King would need a lot of power to generate such energy.

Taking a stance, Gohan powered up, a gust of wind spreading out from underneath him in a gale of force. "Well come on then, show me this technique of yours!"

The Panda King put both hands forward, his palms facing upwards and, with a smirk, a ball of fire appeared in both hands, illuminating the entire room and his face. "With pleasure!"

Bending low on his knees, the Panda King leapt into the air, at the same time, cranking both arms back and, one after the other, threw both fire balls straight at Gohan. The balls of flame shot straight at Gohan like bullets and, reacting quickly, Gohan leapt to the side, avoiding the blasts that exploded where he used to be standing forming a small, smoking crater.

Rolling across the floor, Gohan positioned himself in a fighting stance and skidded slightly to a stop, keeping his eyes on the Panda King who landed back onto the centre platform and took his own fighting stance. Both fighters stared angrily at each other for a moment, the fighting sense in the air becoming intense.

In a split second, Gohan shot straight for the Panda King, soaring across the ground and making his way level by level up to the Panda King standing at the top of the stair way platform in front of him. Cranking back his fist, Gohan prepared to punch his opponent, and with his momentum, he was expecting an amazing result.

The Panda King, seeing Gohan attacking did an amazing back flip and once he had backed off, through both his hands back then through them forward, both palms connecting as they slammed together, unleashing a powerful beam of flaming energy.

The blast of fire shot straight at Gohan, the young Saiyan gasping in shock and, making a sharp change of course, vanished into super speed, appearing above the trailing beam of fire before diving down at the panda King who was still pouring fire energy into the beam, not noticing Gohan's disappearance.

Hearing and sensing Gohan coming from above, the Panda King looked up, only to get rammed in the face by a side kick initiated by Son Gohan. The Panda King immediately ceased his outpour of fire energy and staggered back from the kick, his face bruised up a bit and a look of surprise written on his face.

Gohan landed after hitting the Panda King and, the instant he landed, shot forward, pulling back his fist. At this close range, he was bound to hit his opponent. However, just as he was about to strike at the Panda King, the fire works artist had managed to recover just enough from Gohan's kick and was able to send an attack of his own, A ki enflamed fist of fire straight at Gohan's face.

Gohan was caught completely off guard at the speed and strength of the Panda King and got himself hit big time by the attack. The blow was enough to send Gohan flying back in the opposite direction and, once he had lost a bit of his momentum from the blow, went skidding across the top platform, coming to a stop at the edge with a slightly burnt and bruised face.

The Panda King grinned and dropped into a attack stance, balling both his fists and brandishing them in a threatening manner. He waited as Gohan dragged himself to his feet, shaking his head and rubbing his bruised face. The young Saiyan was a little surprised by the Panda King's swift reactions but was inwardly pleased. Maybe he' be able to get a descent fight out of him after all.

Gohan smiled and glanced up at the panda King who was still hopping on the spot, ready for any surprise assaults Gohan would unleash upon him. "Impressive, I never knew you were this good", said Gohan. The Panda King smiled.

"Thank you for your compliment, I think you are good too. So… ready for round two", asked the Panda King. Gohan nodded and, balling his fists by his sides, smirked.

"OK. Allow me to kick it off with a fresh start." Crossing his arms across his face, Gohan suddenly uncrossed sharply to his sides and, with a loud scream, his golden aura burst around him, followed shortly by a shock wave and the changing of his mental and physical features. His hair flashed bright gold and his eyes turned a light teal, his gi waving in the winds of his golden energy. His hair had also stiffened and had produced several thick strands as well as the thickening of the two bangs hanging at the front of his face.

Panda King was surprised at this development and watched as Gohan's energy warped fluently around him, a smile spreading across Gohan's more matured features. "What do you think? I call this my Super Saiyan form."

The panda King blinked a couple of times then smiled, dropping back into a fighting stance and tensing up in anticipation. "Impressive. Your level of skill and strength are far more advanced then I'd hoped. Let the second round begin". With a bang like the explosion of a firework, Panda King's fists suddenly illuminated with a bright flame and his eyes suddenly pure black with the flickering or small flames glowing in those now dark orbs of his.

Gohan flinched and smirked wildly. He felt the panda King's ki level jump phenomenally and at that level, he would definitely be more then a match. It was something Gohan was yearning for, a long, powerful fight.

With both fighters at their absolute maximum at the levels they had achieved, they both ran at each other full pelt, the Panda King starting off with his new Flame Fu assault. Barrages of lightning fast punches were unleashed from both fighters, Gohan parrying and retaliating with his own assault, all the while avoiding the deadly fists of flame the Panda King was using.

What started out like an explosion with both fighters meeting each other in the centre, Gohan began backing off. The Panda King was using a blind fury with much skill and because of his opponent's height, Gohan had to levitate several feet in the air if he was to make some clear head shots. The only problem was that Gohan couldn't get any clear head shots. Whenever he tried to send a jab or any other punch aimed for the Panda King's face, it would either be parried or blocked.

Shock waves echoed all around as well as the explosions of the Panda King's fist of flame impacting against Gohan's blocks. The attacks were brutal and any let down in any of the fighter's guard or technique would lead to a fatal blow.

The Panda King's assault was slowly beginning to take its toll on Gohan who's arms were beginning to be bruised with the panda King's flaming punches and, not wanting to back off any more and lose his ground, Gohan decided to pick up his assault.

Blocking a few of the Panda King's jabs, Gohan leapt into the air, far out of reach for the Panda King and suspended himself, his legs pulled up a little and his fists balled at his sides. The Panda King followed Gohan with his eyes, surprised that this little opponent of his could fly. Even though Gohan could fly, the Panda King could still reach him.

Smirking, the panda King shot both hands forward, palm facing up and his hands held at chest height. He was aiming for Gohan but not just yet, he still needed to power up his attacks. With his already blazing hands, the Panda King's movements flared up the fire burning in his palms, the balls of flame bursting out twice their regular size.

When his attacks were finally bottled up to full power, the Panda King cranked back his right arm and pelted the ball of flame in his hand like a baseball straight at Gohan. The young Saiyan, whose aura had died during his assault on the Panda King, twirled through the air, avoiding the attack as it shot past him and straight through the roof above.

The Panda King, seeing that attack fail continued his fiery assault, pulling back his left arm then throwing forward, sending his flaming attack straight at Gohan again. That too was avoided. Soon enough, panda King began pelting barrages of fire balls at his opponent from left hand to right in an effort to hit his opponent. The balls of fire burnt straight through the roof, by passing their main target completely.

Gohan grunted as he swiftly avoided the bullet like attacks. He knew that if he was hit by any of them, he would suffer severe burns and damage. After seeing the panda King's strength and capabilities so far, Gohan did not want to fail.

Avoiding one last attack by back flipping over it, Gohan then dived down at the Panda King, flipping over to his right side at the last minute and coming up from beneath the panda King, sending a powerful upper cut aimed at his face. The panda King, who was charging up another attack to throw at Gohan was caught off guard and was struck at the chin, a loud boom signaling a shock wave by the powerful blow.

The panda King was sent staggering back at an uncontrollable rate and, landing on his own two feet again, Gohan powered up, his golden aura bursting around him and he shot straight at the giant Panda, yelling at the top of his lungs and sending a straight jab into the panda King's gut.

The panda King, who was still recovering from Gohan's previous attack had the wind knocked out of him from the punch and, while in shock and hunched over from that well placed jab to the gut, he was forced to endure the rapid assault unleashed by Gohan. The young Saiyan sent straight punches into his gut repeatedly, all of which followed by loud shock waves.

The punches Gohan used on the Panda King sent his opponent sliding back slowly as he sent more and more punches into his opponent. Once he had thought he had done enough damage, he finished it by using a special technique he had learned. Struck by inspiration from the Panda King's fire work technique, Gohan used a new, swift and powerful assault he dubbed the Flaming Dragon fist.

Cranking back his left fist, he powered up, his golden aura accompanied by a blue flame of energy that made the Panda King's fire attacks look like a joke. The energy that burst out appeared with a bang and a gust of wind and, when the special effects and strength was applied, Gohan sent his left fist forward into the Panda King's gut, embedding his fist in deeply and causing a huge shock wave to form, forcing the Panda King sliding back at a quicker pace. He was still in shock, but now that he had been placed into deeper shock from the powerful blow Gohan had sent into him, the Panda King was unable to do anything about it.

Pulling out his fist, Gohan cranked back his left arm and then shot up for the Panda King's face, chopping at his cheek with a powerful left elbow, that attack too enflamed by the sparkling blue flame like aura. This attack sent the Panda King staggering slightly to the side, a bruise appearing on his cheek and his eyes tightly shut to protect his pupils from damage and debris.

Pulling back his elbow, at the same time Gohan spun around in a counter clockwise direction, powering up more and sending a right backwards round house kick across the Panda King's left side, sending him falling in the opposite direction. Then, finishing his attack pulled his right leg up and, while still spinning send a right roundhouse kick across the Panda King's left cheek again, a huge shock wave following.

The Panda King stagger to his right violently and rammed into one of the many wooden, thick support pillars surrounding his shrine. He gripped it tightly when he rammed into it for his own support and, groaning, pulled himself up right again.

His eyes opened slowly and looked to his left. He then realized that he had been knocked down the steps of his platform and now, Gohan was standing in the central, top platform, glaring down at him with his golden aura warping violently around him. The sight enraged the Panda King because he was being beaten by someone whom he would never allow to take his thrown as the greatest thief in all of China.

Now wanting to be beaten yet, Panda King looked up at the pillar he had rammed into and in an unexpected fortune of circumstances, saw a Kwan do stuck up on the pillar, its golden encrusted, silver blade gleaming in the firelight of the torches hung up n the surrounding pillars. (It's a spear like weapon with a sword blade at the end)

Smiling at his luck, the Panda King grabbed the red stick connected to the blade and pulled the weapon down. Armed and deadly, the Panda King spun around and brandished his weapon at his opponent, the blade aimed straight at Gohan. The young Saiyan was surprised none to say the least, but was even more surprised when a burning red flame suddenly burst out on the blade's end of the Kwan do.

The Panda King then made an amazing leap from his position of the room and, soaring through the air straight at Gohan, held the weapon up in a chop position and sent it down at Gohan. The blade sliced through the air at a dangerous rate and, reacting quickly, Gohan super speeded sideward, avoiding the blade as it impacted against the central platform he had once been standing on, the panda King gripping the weapon tightly and landing on his two feet after his weapons blade made contact with the floor, a small crater forming where it struck.

Back flipping and flipping away down the stairs of the layered platforms, Gohan stopped beside a pillar against the railing circulating the shrine he had moved into, his eyes locked on the panda King above him on the platforms. Provided the panda King was trying to pull his weapon from its place, it gave Gohan the time he needed to find one of his own.

Looking to his right at the pillar next to him, he saw to his liking two swords hung up on the wall crisscrossing each other. Both the sword's blades were gleaming gold and both blades of the swords were bent and curved, sort of the like the way Sly's hook at the end of his cane was like but these two hook blades formed more thickly and thinner to suite the properties of a sword's blade. To add to it, its handling was strapped with red leather for a more frictional grip and at the handle's ends were tied with pompom strings. The swords handle guards took the form of two golden spikes sticking out at the blades end of the handle, making the weapons look more lethal and deadly looking.

Looking back and forth several times from the swords beside him to the Panda King, Gohan made a decision and grabbed both the swords from the wall and, taking them in both hands ran up the layers of platforms before him before leaping into the air towards his opponent. While soaring through the air, Gohan pulled back his right hand holding one of his swords and, as he plummeted, gripped his sword's handle tightly and sent it down at the Kwan do's spear like handle.

The Panda King, seeing Gohan plummeting towards him and yelling in a warrior's cry also saw that the boy was armed and, reacting quickly, released his hold of his weapon, seeing Gohan land by it while sending his sword into Kwan do's handle, slicing it from the centre down.

The Panda King staggered back in shock, seeing Gohan get back to his feet then glare at the Panda King with a powerful gleam of fire in his eye, a sign of a true warrior. The sight in the young Saiyan's eyes made the Panda King tremble but, not wanting to lose just yet, growled and ran at Gohan, cranking back his right hand and forming a point of his two fingers like the Special beam cannon but not putting his fingers to his forehead.

As soon as the panda King was within striking range of his opponent, he pulled himself back, ready to attack, his right hand that was cranked back to prepare to strike bursting into flames as he applied his fireworks technique in a deadly manner. Gohan focused his attention on the attack, seeing what his opponent would do.

"FIERY WHEEL", yelled the Panda King, sending his right hand shooting at Gohan. But, instead of striking at Gohan like a punch flipped onto his back and, still extending his right arm, spun around on the ground like a top spinning on a table. His flaming hand spun lethally like a chopper blade, the aim of the attack intent on striking at Gohan's feet.

Gohan had half expected a head attack and, crouching low, leapt over the Panda King's arm, spinning through the air then, gripping his sword's handles tightly, sent his right fist across the Panda King's face when his opponent leapt back to his feet after that one round top spin attack. The Panda King was surprised that his opponent had leapt over his attack and, initially got a punch straight across the face.

That strong attack caused a shock wave, sending the Panda King staggering sideways to his right. It was also enough to knock the final blow into the Panda King's consciousness meter, the damage inflicted upon him taking effect. He was downed the instant he had staggered two feet, falling to his side.

Gohan landed beside the Panda King and, reacting on instinct, brandished his left sword at the Panda King's face while glaring down at the fire works artist. The Panda King's eyes were no longer glowing with the burning hot flames they were burning with minutes before and were back to their regular state.

The Panda King was now bruised and beaten with a trickle of blood running down from the bottom corner of his lips. He also sported a black eye and was unable to open his left since it was the eye that was bruised. His hands were still smoking and steaming from his firework technique that had been extinguished, and with his energy depleted, he was unable to move.

The Panda King groaned as he stared up at the towering warrior, seeing the golden blade pointing at him threateningly. He smiled and nodded. "Your fighting skills… are unparalleled young warrior. Take the pages of the… Thievius Raccoonus… I have… and take those swords too… as a token of your victory. The spoils are yours Gohan… you… won…"

After a couple of coughs and a loud groan, the Panda King fell into unconsciousness, letting out a relieved sigh at finally being able to rest. Gohan, seeing this flinched and pulled his left sword away, laying it across his shoulder and smiling. Closing his eyes briefly he powered down back to his normal form, his clothes darkening and his hair returning back to its spiky black strands.

Opening his eyes again, Gohan bent over and, reaching into the back pocket of the Panda King's pants, pulled out the pages of the Thievius Raccoonus he had in his possession. The pages were slightly ruffled but didn't sustain any fatal burns or damage so Gohan didn't have to worry.

The young Saiyan held onto his prize and examined it for a moment but was interrupted by Bentley's voice jumping onto the air. The young Saiyan, after shoving both his swords into either sides of his belt placed his left finger to his ear so to reply and to listen in on what his friend had to say.

"**_Hey Gohan, I did a cross analysis on the metal used in that dam that you had just wiped out and it turns out that it can only be found in one place! The Krakov Volcano in Russia! That's got to be where we'll find the fifth member of the Fiendish Five. So get what we came for and let's get out of here!"_**

Gohan nodded. "Right Bentley, over and out!"

* * *

_**Gohan's thoughts…**_

"Retrieving the Panda King's section of the Thievius Raccoonus wasn't easy, but when I did manage to get my hands on it, I found that it mainly held detailed files on Sly's technically minded ancestor, Otto Van Cooper. He was not known for his physical dexterity, but he was known for his designs, machinery and technology he used in his criminal endeavors. Quite impressive I might add."

"Armed with Otto's designs, I was sure that Murray and the gang would be able to make some cool modifications to the Team van."

"After leaving my calling card, the Cooper trademark infused with my fighting insignia, I headed back to the van, using the inside rooms and walkways built into the giant statue of the Panda King, seeing as that flying was still a risky and out of the question idea. But still, even though the Panda King's operation was sabotaged, it didn't mean it was easy getting down, what with the arrival of Videl Satan's police forces. We both actually caught a glimpse of each other before we left and I could see that she was happy to see me alive and well."

"Having just missed me coming down the mountain, Videl Satan threw the Panda King in jail, thus ending his avalanche protection act and ensuring the safety of mountain villages throughout China."

"On my way out I had managed to swipe some of the goods around the Panda King's shrine and suite, assuring the gang that I did not leave empty handed. I managed to swipe a few statues, ancient weapons and a whole lot of valuable treasures and stashed them away in a bag so to get back down from the Mountain. I was lucky though, finally I had a set of weapons that I could use just like Sly. While he had his family cane, I had the two swords I was 'given' by the Panda King. They were quite well made I should say, and with my knowledge on warrior weapons, I should be able to keep my weapons in there good conditional state and strengthen their blades to suit my purposes."

"With the pages of the Thievius Raccoonus back in Sly's hands, completing four fifths of the of the pages that were stolen, Murray used Otto Van Coopers designs to build a battering ram at the front of the van and apply a powerful turret improved by Bentley himself."

"Shortly afterwards, me and the boys took a little time off and did a little shopping in Hong Kong, as well as taking a couple of days off in one of the five star hotels before heading off to our next destination."

* * *

_**Character power levels:**_

Cooper gang:

_Sly Cooper: 900_

_Murray: 1,030_

_Bentley: 60_

_Gohan: 160,000,000_

_Super Saiyan Gohan: 300,000,000_

_Super Saiyan 2: 500,000,000_

Fiendish Five:

_Sir Raleigh: 500_

_Sir Raleigh (bloated): 1,220_

_Muggshot: 250,000,000_

_Mz. Ruby: 500_

_Mz. Ruby (magic): 300,000,000_

_Panda King: 162,000,000_

_Panda King (Flame Fu): 280,000,000_

Interpol:

_Inspector Carmelita Montoya Fox: 650_

_Inspector Videl Bideru Satan: 890_

Other:

_Sir Raleigh's riot guards: 115_

_Muggshot's guard dogs: 125_

_Muggshot's riot guards: 150_

_Mz. Ruby's ghost guards (Voodoo guards): 165_

_Mz. Ruby's suicide roosters: 1,000_

_Panda King Gorilla guards: 150_

_Interpol Police: 200_

_Interpol Riot Police: 1,500_

_Interpol SWAT: 1650

* * *

_

TO BE CONTINUED…


	8. The COLD Heart of HATE

DRAGONBALL Z **meets _Sly Cooper_**

The COLD Heart of HATE

_**Gohan's thoughts…**_

"We were on our way to the Krakov Volcano in Russia. While looking up on what little information we had on the final member of the Fiendish Five me and Sly began to notice something…"

"In the four parts of the Thievius Raccoonus we have recovered so far on the profiles of Riochi Cooper, Tennessee Kid Cooper, Slytancammen Cooper and Otto Van Cooper, several of the photo shots depict a shadowy owl like figure that looks very similar to the police images of the mysterious Clockwerk. Since none of the police shots were able to give a full, depicted view on this mysterious gang member as well as the images in the Thievius Raccoonus photos were unable to get a good view of this bird, we were unable to identify whether both these owl figures were the same."

"Either this is a strange coincidence, or are we just missing something…"

* * *

After a grueling journey through the Mountain ranges North of Russia, the Cooper gang had finally reached their destination. It may have taken them a little while longer but they found the steel door entrance to Clockwerk's fortress embedded deep in the volcano. The door was super reinforced with a thick frame. The top frame bore the symbolic Clockwerk wings and head with the face of Clockwerk acting as the security camera's their yellow eye lenses enhancing on the Cooper van sitting in front of it.

Murray, who was at the wheel of the Cooper van stared oddly up at the giant steel doors blocking their path. Bentley was also fascinated by the design and make of the door, his eyes looking over the front of it, examined its structure and defenses. Sly was sitting on the top of van at the anti tank and aircraft turret welded in place on the turret emplacement where their satellite dish used to be. Gohan was at the back of the van looking in the gap between Murray and Bentley and also looking up at the gate.

The group continued to stare up at the gate, the only entrance into the volcano that didn't require drilling through thick layers of ash covered stone walls and swimming through lava. By all it counts, this was the only normal and safe entrance leading into Clockwerk's lair. But then again, sitting where they wasn't going to help anything! It was time for action…

Murray, first to turn away from the door turned towards Sly's position of the van and yelled. "Hey Sly, we'd better get moving! Just load the turret and blast that lock off of the door so we can access the fortress interior", called Murray.

Sly, snapping out of his day dreaming nodded and pulled the turret to him. Seeing the lever at the side of the weapon pushed forward, he gripped the small handle and pulled it back, hearing the weapon load with the sounds of metal clicking into position and the first of over one thousand 50 caliber, armor piercing rounds get loaded into its place.

Bentley and Gohan reacted instantly when the gun loaded and took their places, buckling themselves in and bracing as the van's engine whirred into life. After what they've been through, they knew that this was going to be a bumpy ride.

Aiming the crosshairs of the turret at the giant lock holding the steel double doors together, Sly pulled on the trigger, unleashing a few dozen rounds at the lock, blowing it completely off, at the same time pushing the door open.

Seeing the door open before him, Murray hit the acceleration and drove past the double doors and into the fortress main road. "OK guys here we go!" yelled Murray, driving carefully through the narrow passageway following their entrance through the double doors.

Sly had to duck a couple of times at nearly being hit by a low ridge but looked back up again to the safety of the turret's sighting as soon as they entered the clearing in the volcano. To his surprise, they had just entered the outer lakes of the volcano's actual funnel where the lava flowed down from the top of the volcano and into here. It cooled down a bit when it entered this large area but it didn't mean it still wasn't lethal.

While Murray was looking around the entire clearing of rocky cliffs, hills and lava pools beneath them, he suddenly saw something unusual on the horizon. What looked to be a large statue of Clockwerk was actually a giant, metal tower sticking out of the top of the volcano. Staring at it oddly, Murray nudged Gohan beside him and pointed out the tower before they passed it. Since they were going 20 kilometers an hour just to be safe, the giant tower was still in view.

"What do you think that is Gohan", asked Murray. Gohan, having spotted the tower as well stared at it intently for a moment and shrugged.

"It looks to be some sort of tower to me", replied the young Saiyan.

Bentley, Sly, Gohan and Murray all stared at the giant tower on the horizon before them while still driving along at a slow pace. It was only as few minutes when Bentley realized something. Judging by the tower's build and the slightly visible systems integrating it, Bentley saw that it wasn't a tower at all!

Pointing at the tower through the window Bentley began shouting that nearly made Gohan's ears pop at how sudden his voice appearance was. "That's no tower! THAT'S A GIANT DEATH RAY!" shouted Bentley.

Suddenly, out of the tower's eyes in the distance shot forth two electrical powered beams, both beams shooting through the air like lightning and striking the hill beside road the team van was following. Because the road was stationed on a narrow cliff with a lake of lava flowing on either side of them, they had no room to maneuver the van.

The beams of lightning that struck the hill exploded with a bang and a violent climax soon followed, boulders of rubble and rocks beginning to roll down the side of the hill and straight at the van, ready to crush the team in one feral swoop.

Sly noticed the boulders falling and, grabbing hold of the turret began feverishly shooting all the boulders rolling towards them. The rocks he managed to hit were blown to pieces, the rubble soon turning into bits of debris before they could even strike their targets. The bullets flew through the air at an amazing fast rate, faster then what Sly had expected so he was able to strike the boulders at long range and do maximum damage. He could see the projectiles fly through the air in the form of fiery red bolts.

The hill was at least 100 yards wide and stretched beside the road, blocking view of the giant Clockwerk death ray they had seen before they turned onto this route. Because the death ray only fired one shot, the boulders that fell only came down in a single mass, allowing Sly to shoot out all of them before they passed the hill completely, moving out of range of the giant boulders.

Sly wiped his forehead of his sweat and sighed in relief. It was sure hard work shooting out those boulders and it was certainly hot in here. The sky above him was dark and cloudy, blocking out the clear blue sky from view. It added to the atmosphere of the gang's situation.

After passing by the boulder encrusted hill, the entire gang sighed in relief. But that all changed when they realized that they weren't out of the dark yet. Looking up, Sly suddenly saw the approach of at least 50 robot falcons, falcons that have been mechanized and built by the fifth member of the Fiendish five, Clockwerk himself. They looked to have the impossible ability to fly and, judging from their components, they were all around by gears and a single power unit. Also, they were making a terrible noise, their screeching coming out in inaudible hoots like an owl but more electronic and robotic.

Sly yelled in surprise and quickly loaded his turret again and aimed the barrel at the forward falcon diving at him from the skies. From the looks of it, it was an entire swarm coming at him from the skies, and because they were all close together, much of them made easy targets.

Growling in annoyance, Sly started peppering away at the swarm of falcons diving at him. The first in line was the first to fall the bullets striking him right between the eyes and sawing away his wings, his entire body blowing up, sending spare parts, clockwork pieces and computer chips flying everywhere.

Many other falcons began vanishing from the sky, their remains falling in the form of debris, fire and ash as they were blown from the sky. Sly was beginning to make short work of the whole flock as they dived down at him, but as soon as he had capped at least twenty of them, the rest of the flock began breaking off before they could make proper attack contact with the van, pulling away sharply and taking to the sky. As they flew by, Sly did his best to shoot them out of the sky; managing to cap several more as they by passed him and damage several others.

The remaining dozen falcons that had passed Sly without getting hit continued their flight path, circulating in the air and changing course, diving back down at Sly, their artificial voice boxes screeching loudly in their attack. The rest of the damaged falcons followed behind with smoking tail feathers and damaged wings, their trajectory and visual contest screwed up.

Sly did his best to keep the falcons away, blasting the ones who closest and spraying them away with his turret. By the time he had waved off another attack made by a smaller group of diving falcons, there was only 9 falcons remaining, 4 of them have suffered fatal damage.

The instant Sly was about to fire off another hundred rounds and mow down the remaining flock of falcons, they all suddenly took off, leaving the van on its track and screeching loudly in fear. Moving his sights away from them, Sly raised a confused eyebrow, a surprised expression on his face. The same went for Bentley, Gohan and Murray who were still inside the van and were watching the falcons take off.

After seeing the falcons disappear over another hill in the direction of a giant death ray, the group all snapped back into reality and continued on their present course. Murray picked up the speed a little, this time being more aware of any dangers around them. They were in uncharted territory and one wrong move would ensure them a one way ticket to the next afterlife.

Sly, who was at the turret, checked the ammo slot on the small computer screen next to the cartridge. It showed 753 rounds remaining. He sighed, knowing that he still had enough ammo if they ever confronted another flock of those falcons.

Fortunately for the group, there were no more defenses to be seen and Sly figured that Clockwerk had sent all of his forces in to stop them. Even using the giant death ray didn't help. Though, they were lucky to be alive.

"Hey Sly, you OK up there", asked Gohan, looking over his shoulder and up at the roof of the van. Sly looked down with a smile and nodded.

"Yeah, but it sure is hot up here", replied the Raccoon. Bentley, who was busy looking over the detailed maps of a bird's eye view of Clockwerk's fortress, was rubbing his chin in thought as he examined every minor and major detail of the volcano's top before turning to Sly, Gohan and Murray.

"OK you guys, this is it. We have reached the end of the track. Murray, you're going to have to park the car and wait with me outside the entrance to Clockwerk's base of operations. It is heavily guarded so we won't be able to sneak in there that easily, so Sly and Gohan would have to go in. Just be careful guys, we'll give you updates on your situation as you go along", said Bentley. Gohan, Sly and Murray nodded in agreement and, looking back up, Murray caught a good view of the entrance Bentley had mentioned.

It was a steel bunker built into the side of the volcano with another huge Clockwerk face at the front of it and a steel door with air vents sending cool air into the building. There was a pipe next to it so it should allow Sly to gain a foothold and crawl through the vents.

Gohan smiled and cracked his knuckles. "Ahh yes its go time!" Sly chuckled at Gohan's enthusiasm as he departed from his place at the turret, the turret retracting into the van and replacing it with the satellite dish again.

"Gee Gohan, you sure are eager", said Sly. Gohan smiled at his friend over his shoulder, having trouble seeing though because of the two swords strapped to his back by two identical red belt straps, similar to his gi belt. He also had the same pack Sly did so he would be able to put pages or other documents in or perhaps hold a larger, folded up bag so to carry loot out of a particular building.

"I am… maybe it's just my instincts", said Gohan. Sly nodded and, pulling out his cane from over his shoulder, twirled it in his fingers then snapped it into both his hands, his regular mischievous smile imprinted on his lips.

"Then let's get going!"

Seconds later, Murray drove the van close to the front bunker and, making a spectacular turn, spun the van around on the narrow track so that the back doors of the van faced the bunker's front doors, allowing Gohan and Sly to exit the van without having to work their way around it the hard way.

Bentley and Murray turned to Gohan and Sly, seeing them making their way to the back of the van and, before they could open the doors, Bentley called out.

"Be careful you two. This Clockwerk fellow may not be expecting any uninvited guests but he does pack a lot of security in this facility. We want you two back alive after this OK", said Bentley. Sly smiled and nodded to his old friend.

"Sure thing Bentley, we'll get back those pages and return to you guys in no time, unless you don't plan on coming along with us?" suggested Sly. Bentley shook his head and chuckled.

"No thanks Sly, I'm not cut out enough for field work, maybe next time", replied the turtle. Gohan smiled at him.

"Come on Bentley, you've stuck by our sides for like… ever. You've always been on the field with us, and we're both grateful for it", said Gohan. Murray turned in his seat so that he could see his friends who were about to depart.

"What about me you guys, haven't I helped", asked Murray. Gohan and Sly smiled at Murray and nodded.

"Of course you have Murray, you've helped us a lot over the years we've been together, ever sine we met at the orphanage we've stuck together", said Sly. Gohan nodded in agreement and was thoroughly amused when he saw Murray's face brighten up.

"Your driving expertise and strengths have always played a full time role in our lives Murray. We can't thank you enough", Gohan said, turning from both Bentley and Murray. "The both of you have helped a lot. We'll always be there for each other no matter what!"

Bentley and Murray turned to each other and then, smiling more brightly, turned to both Gohan and Sly and nodded.

"Thanks Gohan… that really means a lot to us", said Murray.

"You too Sly, I just hope that we can join you officially on the field on one of your heists", continued Bentley. Sly chuckled and shrugged while Gohan pushed open the doors, exposing the hot atmosphere outside, the heat of the volcano seeping into the van's air-conditioned interior.

"Who knows, maybe next time you two can join us on the field. I know you'll make great thieves. But it doesn't mean that your not great thieves now. You two are the best friends we've ever had", said Sly. Gohan smiled over his shoulder and saluted to them while Sly gave a wave and exited the van.

"We'll be right back you guys, see yah", said Gohan, following after Sly and leaping out the back doors of the van, the doors slamming to a close by Bentley and Murray who waved to them as they left.

Approaching the large double doors at the front of the bunker, Sly and Gohan stopped at the foot of the stairs leading up to the doors, their eyes gazing up at the large structure before them.

All was quiet now, save for the gurgling of the lava flowing beneath and around them and the strange noise of machinery whirring and chattering away behind the doors that were in front of them. Though it was an uncommon occurrence, something felt strange to both Gohan and Sly about this place. It was eerie yes, but there was a strange scent of danger lifting in the air.

Ignoring it, Gohan and Sly turned to each other. Doing this as a team, Sly ran forward first, moving to his left of the bunker and leaping onto the pipe welded into the side of the building by the doors. Making sure his cane was firmly gripped in his mouth, Sly began to clabber up the pipe and, once he was level with the vents above the door, Sly flipped and crawled onto the ledge above the door.

Pulling his cane from his mouth, Sly slashed at the vents, shattering the both of them with a loud clang that echoed down the ventilation shaft. Gohan, seeing Sly disappear into the vent was forced to watch as Sly disabled any of the security systems ahead of them.

Sly only had to crawl five meters through the vent before appearing out the other end. He found himself sitting on the edge of the vent overlooking a dark hallway littered with security systems and weird looking tiles. Along the walls were thick pipes and smaller pipes with small holes in them. The visible gas escaping from the pipes showed the small holes. The roof was basically the same as the walls, pipes trailing across it with a single lamp hanging down from it. The globe flickered, meaning that it wasn't screwed in properly or that it was losing its power.

Sly looked around his surroundings a few times while thinking. _"This is like some sort of factory"_. With a shrug, Sly pulled out his binocucom and enhanced his visor onto the tile floors and trailed across it, passing by the many security beams moving back and forth, up and down and side to side. This was some high tech stuff and Sly knew he would have to be careful here.

"Hey Bentley, what's with all these security systems. I have seen most of them but there is at least one or two that differ from the others", said Sly in a whisper, his ear piece transmitting his speech waves back to Bentley as well as Gohan and Murray. Soon enough, it began receiving Bentley's signal.

"**_Well Sly, Clockwerk has installed the latest high tech security systems into his base of operations. Those flickering beams moving across the floor are electronic floor sensors and those other security beams are what most thieves call fly catchers. Those spot lights as well are integrated into the security system as well. Step into any of them and you'll be subjected to acute combustion",_** said Bentley. Sly nodded and looked up the length of the steel tile floor.

"Bet Gohan can repel all of these security systems. The switch to these things is on the fart end of the room and because Gohan is too big to fit through the vents or open the doors without alerting the security systems, it's going to be tricky."

Bentley nodded. **_"I see what you mean; this place is stuffed to the gills with security systems. But how do you plan on making your way over there",_** asked Bentley. Sly smiled, his visor suddenly setting upon some overhanging pipes and twisted pipes moving along the roof, some of them forming hooks.

"Oh, I'll think of something…"

Putting away his binocucom, Sly crouched low and, tensing up, pushed from the vents, leaping at the nearest hook. Timing himself correctly and avoiding a couple of the spot lights, Sly grasped the hook with his cane and hung where he was, locating his next landing point.

Because of the fly catcher beams passing through the air, Gohan would have to be careful here. But there was a flaw in the security system. The beams passed up and down and back to forth once every five seconds, giving Sly a good vantage point so that he could grab onto the hook and swing himself up onto the set of pipes over head further down the line.

Swinging him self back and forth just to gain a stronger jump, Sly let himself go, throwing him self at the hook. Reaching out while avoiding the beam's grabbed onto the hook then, with a single swing, threw him self up at the pipes above. Doing a power jump so to gain more height in his leap, Sly grabbed onto the pipes with his hook. Quickly, he pulled himself up onto the pipes and sat where he was, looking over the side.

There was just one more hook to go before he would reach the control panel and switch on the wall, a loud speaker hanging above the panel as well as a siren light. Sly could make that leap for the hook easily but there was a catch. This hook was passed by a security beam and a spotlight every five seconds, making the leap a lot more treacherous.

There was some good news though, the beams and spot light moved in exact unison, allowing a brief amount of space between them. The spot light shined left at the same time the beams moved in a downwards motion, leaving enough space for Sly to hook himself onto the hook and dive through the rest of the way.

Taking the leap of faith, Sly leapt from the pies and dived for the hook, the beams moving down and the spot light moving away. Using his thief reflexes, he gripped hold of the overhanging hook with his cane and, putting power into his swing, threw himself over the electronic floor sensors, at the same time, by passing an avoiding the flashlights and fly catcher security beams.

Spinning through the air to add more to his thrust, Sly landed firmly on the tile floor behind the security systems and, after getting into a standing position and smiling in success, turned to the control panel beside him and smirked.

"_Too easy…"_

Cranking back his arm holding his cane, Sly swiped at the security control panel, shattering it, at the same time shutting down the entire security mainframe behind the blast doors. All spot lights, security beams and floor sensors immediately vanished as well as the lock on the door.

Sly smiled and, seeing the lock remove from the door on the other end and at this end of the hallway, Sly reached for the switch beside the destroyed control panel and pulled it down. The switch hit the bottom pat with a bang of electricity, the different connection sending a new signal down the line and towards the door.

A second after hitting the switch, the door on the other end of the room opened, the bright light of the outdoors hitting the dark hallway and, from out of that door stepped in Son Gohan, his fists balled at his sides while he gripped hold of both his swords in both his hands, their blades gleaming in the light that escaped into the hallway.

Sly smiled as Gohan approached, looking from left to right as he went along. When the young Saiyan reached Sly a few seconds later, Gohan turned to his friend and smiled.

"Took you long enough, nice work", said Gohan in congratulations. Sly nodded while tipping his hat, his cane flung onto his shoulder and held in his right hand.

"Thanks", replied the Raccoon. Gohan nodded and gestured over Sly's shoulder towards the open door behind him.

"Come on, let's get going", said Gohan. Sly nodded in agreement and, side by side, the two of them ran into the new room opened before them.

They were expecting more security systems on the other side of the open door as well as guards and other security unlike any they had seen before. Little did they know was that they would be getting more then what they bargained for at what awaits them on the other side!

TO BE CONTINUED…


	9. A Daring Rescue

DRAGONBALL Z **meets _Sly Cooper_**

A DARING RESCUE!

A new set up was placed before the two great thieves the instant they entered the room on the other side of the door they had just walked through. Their eyes had to adjust a little more to the brightness of the light but as soon as their vision adjusted to the light, they were shocked at what they saw.

Indeed they had expected security but what they got was totally different. They knew that some sort of factory was built into the volcano as well as a base of operations for the criminal Clockwerk, but instead of finding a factory, they found a room that was more likely referred to as a lab then a factory core room.

There were computers on desks lying around everywhere, unfinished experiments and inventions, high tech weaponry, hard drives, pipes, tubes, lamps hanging from the ceiling, a super computer built to their left against the side of the room and a large tube tank build on a steel basin in the centre of the room, pipes and tubes attached to it and leading out to its computer hosts.

There weren't any security systems around but the walls looked super reinforced, as did the large tube shaped tank that looked like a central clean room. What they didn't know was that it was.

Inside the clean room were a couple more computers, a large T.V screen built against the side of the glass walls and a desk sited against the inside wall of the tank. Also, strapped to two tables, bounded beyond breakage were Inspector Carmelita Fox and Inspector Videl Satan, their weapons sitting on the desk in the clean room.

Gohan and Sly were shocked at what they saw, both of them immediately putting their ear pieces into action and communicated with Bentley.

"Hey Bentley, Carmelita and Videl are here, but they are both bounded to two separate tables", said Sly.

"What are they doing here anyway", asked Gohan. Bentley, receiving this shrugged.

"**_They were probably captured by the bird who owns this joint. But what do you care, just forget about them, it serves them right. They've been badgering us from the start",_** replied Bentley. Sly looked uncertain and looked back up at the Carmelita while Gohan looked up at Videl, the same look of mixed disappointment and upset on his face.

"But we can't just leave them here, we have to get them out", said Gohan. Sly nodded.

"And besides, stealing won't be any fun without them", said the Raccoon. Bentley sighed.

"**_Both your thieving theories confuse me sometimes. But if you are so eager in getting them out of there, then do so. But be careful, I'm sure that this is a trap."_**

Nodding, both Gohan and Sly disconnected from their link with Bentley and dashed over to the clean room, stepping up onto the basin and entering the giant clean room through the open entrance before them. The instant they both had stepped into the room, the same tight glass door shut behind them, both of them wheeling around.

Pulling out his cane from behind him, Sly slashed at the glass, only for his cane to bounce off by some force field. Gohan did the same, pulling out one of his swords from behind his back with his right and striking at the glass. He managed to break through some of the force field but was thrown back. He cursed at the result.

Turning around, both Gohan and Sly turned their attention to Carmelita and Videl, both cops strapped to the table caught completely by surprise. The appearance of Gohan and Sly was quite sudden for the two of them.

But, when reality struck, Videl's face lit up at the sight of Gohan, seeing the young Saiyan standing before her. "Gohan!"

Carmelita however scowled. "Sly Cooper! I should have known the two of you were behind this, especially you ringtail!" Videl, hearing this turned to Carmelita. She looked quite startled as well as defiant.

"What!?

Gohan and Sly looked at each other but quickly looked back, Sly stepping forward and shaking his head towards Carmelita who feverishly tried to break out of her bounds and the straps pinning her to the table.

"Your wrong Miss Fox, we're actually rescuing you from here, this has nothing to do with us", said Sly. Carmelita glared at him.

"Oh yeah! Then how come you're here then!?" she asked. Sly crossed his arms while Gohan approached Videl strapped to the table, the raven haired girl following him with her eyes.

"I could ask you the same question", replied Sly.

The instant Sly finished hi sentence and Gohan reached the table, a green gas suddenly started to seep into the enclosed clean room from the pipes above. All four victims trapped in the room smelt it and saw it coming. The instant they inhaled it, the gas started to take effect. Carmelita and Videl were the first to get effected by it, a strange sleepy sensation taking over them. Next was Sly, who suddenly started rocking back and forth where he stood before he suddenly fell flat on his face, his cane falling out of his hands.

Gohan however reacted differently. Shoving his sword back into his belt behind him, he shook his head, waving the effects of the gas out of him. Being a Saiyan, he was immune to poisons and gases. This ability allowed him to survive in space and even in different atmospheres and planets. So, he was able to keep a good footing.

Suddenly, he heard a dark, metallic and evil voice echo to his ears and he looked up a the TV screen above, seeing a dark, shadowy owl like figure appear in it, his yellow eyes glaring at the young Saiyan and his victims. It was then when Gohan realized that it was a trap and that he and Sly had walked into a gas chamber.

The figure in the TV chuckled evilly then began to speak. **_"You're a foolish bunch, the lot of you. Empathy has always been the downfall of the Cooper clan",_** spoke the figure. Gohan, blinking a couple of times growled and pointed at the figure above.

"Look here Clockwerk, you may have taken my friends to the depths but you still haven't got me", yelled Gohan, knowing exactly who it was glaring at him from the TV screen. The figure in the TV stared at Gohan with wider eyes, completely surprised to see the young Saiyan still standing.

"**_What?! The nerve gas isn't having any effect on your system whatsoever",_** said Clockwerk. Gohan sharpened his glare.

"That's because I'm not an earthling, nor am I a human. I'm a Saiyan, well half anyway", stated Gohan. Clockwerk blinked a couple of times then glared more sharply.

"**_Ahh a Saiyan… you know I've been expecting you and your friends to turn up sooner or later, guess I'm going to have to do this the hard way",_** replied the dark figure. Gohan, who was still glaring up at the screen, had had just about enough of this conversation and threw a ki ball straight up at the TV screen, shattering it and frying it instantly.

With a new, desperate need to save his friends, Gohan picked at his ear piece and communicated with Bentley. He knew who to turn to in these times and, not wanting to hurt his friends in the process needed a little outside help from his computing partner.

"Hey Bentley, do you copy!? Emergency!" said Gohan. Bentley reacted immediately and responded.

'**_What is it Gohan, are you and Sly alright? Did you manage to get Carmelita and Videl out?"_** asked the turtle. Gohan shook his head.

"No, it's just that we fell into a sticky mess. You were right Bentley, it was a trap. You have to hack into Clockwerk's computer mainframe to shut down this gas chamber we have walked into!" said Gohan hurriedly. Bentley nodded and, faster then super man could fly hit his computer desk top and satellite, hacking into the mainframe surrounding the van and getting down to business.

"**_Alright Gohan, give me a few seconds! That gas will be out in no time!"_** replied Bentley, his fingers working tirelessly over his keyboard as he hacked away using his computing expertise.

Gohan waited and waited, hearing the typing of Bentley's keyboard through his ear piece. It was like some sort of faint beat in the background that Gohan could dance to but, knowing that his friend's lives were in danger, he knew that this was no laughing matter and waited. He was hoping that Bentley would be able to shut down this gas before his friends' brains were turned to cheese.

Time went slower then what he expected but soon enough, the hissing of the gas vanished from Gohan's ears and the atmosphere began to clear, the thick layer of gas floating through the air vanishing when the ventilation systems above them opened, sucking in the poisonous gas, replacing it back with 100 percent pure oxygen.

The effects began to wear off from the other three lying around Gohan and, once the oxygen had returned, Gohan saw them start to awaken. Sly woke up first, staggering to his feet while using the support of his cane he managed to grab beside him. Shaking his head, he turned to Gohan.

"Was that gas?" asked Sly. Gohan nodded while gesturing up at the destroyed TV screen above.

"Yup, that creep Clockwerk tried to kill us. Good thing I was able to keep a clear head through it all or we would have been goners", said Gohan Sly nodded and then the both of them turned to Carmelita and Videl, seeing both of them shake their heads and open their eyes, turning their attention back to the two thieves.

They were interrupted again when the speakers in the gas chamber erupted and the same, spine chilling voice filled the air. **_"You fools… you may have been able to postpone your deaths for now but I assure you, your never going to leave here alive!"_**

Carmelita, Videl, Gohan and Sly turned towards the speakers above them when they heard this and, growling in annoyance, Gohan shot his index finger at the speaker and blew it up, sending debris and flying. Sly stared at Gohan in question while Gohan turned to Sly.

"That frequency in those speakers hurt my ears", Gohan replied merely, rubbing his right ear to ease the soreness he felt. Sly chuckled and nodded before turning to Carmelita and Gohan walked back over to Videl.

Carmelita's expression softened up as she stared at Sly, her black and white view finally lifting. The vixen was now able to see properly, now not being blinded by her duties and was now seeing Sly in an all new light.

"Cooper… I was wrong. I'm… sorry for accusing you for all of this", said Carmelita in a soft, feminine voice that was barely audible to Sly's ears. The raccoon looked a little surprised but shortly afterwards, smiled and shook his head, walking over to Carmelita and hitting the button at the side of the table that bounded her where she lay.

"That's OK Carmelita. We all make mistakes sometimes", said Sly, seeing the vixen sit up and rub her soar wrists from being bounded for so long. Beside them, Gohan had released Videl's bounds from her and the raven haired girl sat up as well, but instead, encased Gohan in a tight hug, one that Gohan returned.

"Thanks for saving my life Gohan", said Videl softly into his ears, pulling away lightly but giving him a quick kiss on his cheek before breaking away so that neither Sly nor Carmelita could see. Gohan shrugged.

"It was nothing Videl. At least I know you're safe now", replied Gohan. Videl smiled lovingly at him and nodded, slightly off of the table so that she was standing in front of him, face to face.

Carmelita shook her head, disagreeing to what Sly had said. "No Cooper, these assumptions I made weren't accidental but purposeful. I was too caught up in my obsessions and pursuing you that I failed to notice the true facts about you. I should be sorry", insisted the vixen, her expression a little bit upset to Sly's eyes.

The Raccoon thief shook his head. "It's was just your sense of what's right that clouded your judgment. But can we talk about this later, we need to get out of here", said Sly. Carmelita nodded in agreement and instantly hopped off the table. Both Videl and Carmelita retrieved their weapons and, after Gohan had broken a gaping hole through the glass of the gas chamber that surrounded them, at the same time as penetrating the force field and shutting it down, all four of them made their exit.

Finding their way out, the four of them exited through a door on the opposite side of the room, ignoring the way Sly and Gohan had entered through and made their way to the top of Clockwerk's lair. For Sly and the others, they had some scores to settle…

* * *

_**On a ledge overlooking Clockwerk's death ray support mainframe…**_

Sly, Gohan, Carmelita and Videl stood atop of the ledge, looking over the lava lake below dividing them from the other side. It was hot as hell again and the smell of melting metal was in the air.

In front of them, built into the large cliff faces was a large power station of some sort or a giant computer system. There were ventilation systems, pipes, thick wires, lightning rod like spires, power receptor globes and other computer systems that Gohan or Sly could not identify.

All four of them were staring down at the structure before them, all of them unable to believe what they were seeing. This thing, this generator had something to do with the giant death ray and, like it or not, the four of them had to take it down.

Carmelita was standing by Sly while Gohan and Videl kept a little distance from the two so that they could have a little talk of their own. And for good reason…

Carmelita sighed and looked up at Sly, inwardly confused. 'I don't get it Cooper… I've hunted you for years, tried to throw you behind bars and when you finally have a chance to leave me in a cage, you rescue me. Why?" asked the vixen. Sly turned to Carmelita and smiled.

"Carmelita, we may be on opposite sides of the law but you're not my enemy and besides, I couldn't just leave you in there to rot, I had to get you out of there because… well… I care about you. Anyway, the homicidal owl that was responsible for all this, that guy is on my list, he's the one I'm after", stated Sly.

Carmelita, who was caught off guard by what Sly had said snapped back into reality, ignoring the slightly blush on her cheeks caused by some undignified thoughts and moved onto important business. She may love him and want him but she was a cop and he was a thief, she couldn't possibly…

"I see your point. Okay then, until Clockwerk and his evil schemes are dismissed and put down for the count, I suggest we work together", said Carmelita. Sly smiled, his eyes glinting with delight.

"Together at last! But now that we're a team and all, I'd hate to leave your side", said Sly. Carmelita held up her hand and placed it against Sly's chest as if trying to stop him. She ignored the feeling she received while doing this as well as another, brighter blush that had sprung up. Because of the heat, she thought that Sly would assume that her blush was caused by it and nothing more.

"Let's not jump into conclusions too fast ringtail. As soon as Clockwerk is defeated and all of this is over, I'm coming after you!" stated Carmelita.

Sly raised an eyebrow as a mischievous smile spread across his face. "Really", he asked.

Carmelita blushed brightly at the tone of his voice and that smile he kept on flashing at her. Bottled up emotions suddenly started to rise to the surface, these feelings she had developed over the years of knowing Sly beginning to emerge. There were many points she almost gave way to these emotions but she resisted them all. Now, those times were coming back to her.

Shaking those feeling down a little, Carmelita mustered dup whatever bit of authority she had and smiled, the combination of both her sides clashing: one side that was controlling her duties and the other side that experienced feelings for the thief. "Well… maybe I'll give you a ten second head start", she murmured softly. Sly grinned and nodded and the both of them turned to Gohan and Videl.

"Hey you two, we'll be working together on this one. Are you two willing to cooperative for this entire heist", asked Sly.

Sly's voice entering Gohan and Videl's conversation and interrupting them caught the pair's attention. Videl and Gohan stared at Sly in surprise for a moment then turned each other. After an affirmative nod and a smile, they both turned back to Carmelita and Sly.

"Sure", they both replied in unison.

Sly nodded. "That's good to know." He then turned to Carmelita. "If we have a chance of shutting down Clockwerk's death ray, we'll need to take out this power generator", said Sly, pointing down at the death ray below. Carmelita nodded.

"Then me and Videl will take care of it, our pistols pack enough power to take down something as strong as steel so there is no problem with that. If you are going up against Clockwerk then I recommend you use my jetpack. I managed to stash it up on the top of the death ray before Clockwerk nabbed me", said Carmelita.

Sly nodded and turned to Gohan. "Do you think you can give me an air lift", asked Sly. Gohan nodded.

"Of course." Sly smiled.

"Great, then we have a plan, we'll meet you two later", said Sly, turning to Carmelita and nodding to her. "Just be careful…"

The vixen smiled. "I will, you don't have to worry about a thing."

Gohan turned to Videl and smiled at her. "Are you sure you'll be alright", asked Gohan. Videl smiled in return and nodded.

"Of course I will. Heck I only just arrived after Clockwerk had taken Carmelita, I was going to tell her that you were just retrieving your friends book and that she didn't have to worry about chasing you or Sly. I'll be alright now that my partner's with me", said Videl. Gohan, slightly surprised at this nodded.

"OK, see you soon", said Gohan. Before he could turn, Videl leaned up and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, dropping back down before Sly or Carmelita noticed.

Videl smiled lovingly up at him and gave him the thumbs up. "Don't let up, and good luck", she said. Gohan gave her the thumbs up as well.

"Thanks…"

Turning to Sly standing beside him the two of them each gave each other a handshake before Gohan firmly grasped Sly's hand and shot off into the sky's above, leaving Videl and Carmelita to deal with the generator.

Videl moved closer to Carmelita and dropping to one knee while aiming her pistol down at the generator below. Carmelita also pulled out her shock pistol and aimed it at the computer, both of them working together to ensure that the death ray was put out of commission once and for all. They needed to end this threat as son as possible.

Looking down, Gohan and Sly could see blue and pink bolts of energy shooting down from the ledge they were once standing on, seeing that Videl and Carmelita were already assaulting the generator. From past experiences, they knew that their pistols were highly dangerous and powerful, capable and turning even armored vehicles into scrap metal. If those bolts of energy could fry a heavily armored vehicle then they could definitely disintegrate a fragile computer generator standing over a boiling pool of lava.

Turning his attention back to the task at hand, Gohan took off at a much faster flight, his eyes finding their way to their target. It was just after flying over the rocky wall where the generator was built into did they see the giant tower floating in a lake of lava at the top of the volcano. It was built to resemble Clockwerk as well as built to an incredible height so that it would stay out of reach of the lava down below.

Both Sly and Gohan stared up and down the tall structure, awing at its height and design before Gohan shot up towards the top where the giant Clockwerk head was built. It was also the primary targeting and weaponry system for the death ray. Sly could feel the hot winds grazing his face and body as Gohan flew up to the top of the death ray, carrying him along. It wasn't long before Carmelita's jet pack came into view, a giant pack with two jet thruster barrels and what appeared to be two rocket launchers built into the jet pack on either side of it.

Sly pointed down at it when Gohan soared over the death ray's full height. "Drop me down there Gohan, I can make it from here", said Sly. Gohan looked a little uncertain, only for his uncertainty to become certain when a sudden explosion rang all around and flames burst out from the Vulcan's edge behind them, pieces of metal and gears flying into the air.

Both Gohan and Sly were caught completely by surprise as well as both of them knowing what had just happened. It didn't take Videl and Carmelita long to take out the generator and an explosion like that could only mean that they had managed to shoot through into the core of the system, creating a huge instability in the entire generator and destroying it instantly.

This caused a chain reaction to follow up as the pipes, wires and machinery running along the lava' and volcano's surface leading towards the generator all began breaking and shatter, a wave of electricity traveling through it before it struck the base of the death ray. That current of electricity continued trailing up the death ray's sides, shattering all the exterior and interior systems before coming to a stop at the death ray's head, or the Clockwerk head built at the top of the death ray.

Immediately after the current of electricity struck the death ray's main gun, it destroyed the gun along with the death ray's supports. Gohan and Sly had to shield their eyes to block out the light of the explosion issuing out of the yellow eyes of the Death ray. A shock wave followed after the destruction of the cannon to the death ray along with the violent shaking of the volcano and the death ray. Gohan only knew what that could mean.

Suddenly, Bentley's voice appeared in Gohan's ear piece. **_"Gohan, what's happening did you manage to get to the death ray",_** asked Bentley. Gohan nodded.

"We did Bentley but we're hovering over it. We've got a problem, Videl and Carmelita had managed to destroy the support and primary generator to the death ray but now something's happening. I think the death ray is sinking into the volcano" said Gohan, seeing the shaking of the death ray causing huge chunks of the structure to fall into the lava along with other pieces of equipment.

Bentley nodded. **_"I've afraid you're right Gohan, the entire structure is going to sink into the volcano. You only have a few seconds before it completely topples over when the death ray supports at the base get brunt away. Hurry and get Sly to the top so he can retrieve Carmelita's jet pack!"_**

Nodding Gohan dived towards the death ray, avoiding the various pieces of metal flying from their places welded onto the death ray. Gohan had to shit from side to side to avoid them, and at the speed he was flying at, it was quite hard, considering he was diving at speeds faster then a WWII dive bomber.

"Alright Sly, get ready to land", said Gohan, Sly nodded, seeing the death ray's top drawing closer, making his landing platform.

A few seconds later, Gohan released his grip on Sly, tossing his friend over to the death ray so that he landed on the very top of the death ray. Sly landed on all fours and, when he got back to his own two feet, he pulled out his cane and ran over to where the jet pack lay seated, on the forehead of the Clockwerk death ray eye brows.

Grabbing hold of the belt strap to the death ray, Sly flung the not so heavy pack onto his shoulder and, after belting himself to the jet pack, pulled out the two stirring leavers on either side of his pack and hit the red button on the left joy stick. The rockets immediately kicked into action, sending Sly soaring into the sky. The moment his feet left the ground, the death ray suddenly toppled into the lava, the pieces splashing into the lava with the sounds of hissing and explosion, smoke gushing out into the air followed by ash and sparks.

Sly sighed in relief as he watched the death ray plummet into the lava below and, once he had gained enough altitude he turned to his right, seeing Gohan hovering next to him with a smile on his face and his arms crossed over his chest.

"Well, that was lucky, good thing you got the jet pack in time", said Gohan. Sly nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, thanks Gohan. if it wasn't for you, I would never have been able to get this and I would have been fried before long", said Sly. Gohan smiled and looked at the jet pack on Sly's back.

"That thing doesn't look too complicated to fly. Is it easy", asked Gohan. Sly shrugged and moved the two joy sticks from side to side, the two rocket launcher turrets on the shoulders of the jet pack moving in tone with his pack.

"I think I've got the hang of it. Just move the joysticks around to maneuver the pack and press the triggers to fire the rockets", said Sly. Gohan nodded but Sly looked a little skeptical. "The rockets are formed by power cells so that this thing has a maximum of 500 rounds. I'd better not waste them."

Gohan shrugged. "Well, its better then nothing…"

Suddenly, something large appearing behind them overshadowed them and the two of them looked up in surprise from staring down at the death ray's remains below. The instant they were over shadowed they heard Bentley's voice appear in their ear pieces.

"_**SLY! GOHAN! BEHIND YOU!"**_

Spinning around where they hovered, Gohan and Sly suddenly saw what was floating behind them and forming that large shadow and saw to their shock and surprise a giant owl crossed with a flacon floating behind them, its enormous and powerful wings flapping to keep it in the air. Its enormous, yellow eyes bore deeply into both Sly's and Gohan's and its talon's opened with the sounds of slicing, exposing its sharp blades that were the talons themselves.

Gohan and Sly backed off at the sight of the giant robot bird and gasped at the appearance of laser cannon on its back and the appearance of two other cannons at its talon feet. Gohan was more surprised because, even though the giant bird was made of soulless machinery, it still had a life force dwelling inside and an unusually high power level radiating off of it.

Videl and Carmelita, who had just arrived at the scene and were standing along the very edge of the volcano's walls holding the lake of lava where it was looked up to where Gohan and Sly were and gasped when they saw the giant owl floating in front of the two, its yellow eyes flowing brightly and also paralyzing them in a state of utter fear.

They leapt back in surprise while pulling out their pistols on instinct. "What the heck is that thing", asked Videl. Carmelita gulped.

"I know… that's Clockwerk!"

TO BE CONTINUED…


	10. A Strange Reunion

DRAGONBALL Z **meets _Sly Cooper_**

A Strange Reunion

The giant owl glared at Sly and Gohan floating level with him in front of him, seeing the two thieves he had planned to eliminate in his gas chamber but didn't. His rage burned on deep in his yellow eyes, the same eyes that struck fear in his prey and opponents, the one's whom he stole from and killed before they had any time to react.

Gohan and Sly were still bewildered beyond belief and resulted to staring at this giant beast of a creature. It was only when the robot bird started talking did they snap out of their stupor's.

Its voice sent chills down their spines when it echoed in a cold, metallic and long forgotten voice. **_"Sly Cooper… you have escaped my gas chamber and destroyed my death ray… (sigh)… remarkable, you Coopers always find a way to beat me"_** said Clockwerk.

Sly and Gohan looked at each other in surprise then looked back at the bird, confusion edged on their faces.

"Always?" said Gohan.

It only took a moment for Sly's thoughts to register and he instantly knew what this… thing was as memories of the pages he had recovered of the Thievius Raccoons appeared in his head.

Sly pointed at the owl in an accusing way. "So that was you in the background of those old pictures and photos of the Thievius Raccoonus. How old are you?!"

The owl's eyes flashed red whenever it spoke or whenever it was angry, so that Sly and Gohan knew when he was going to speak. **_"Perfection has no age!"_**

Gohan raised an eyebrow. "What, you're immortal?"

The owl glared at him. **_"Revenge is the prime ingredient in the fountain of youth. I've kept myself alive for hundreds of years with a steady diet of jealousy and hate, awaiting the day when I would finally eclipse your family's thieving reputation!"_**

Gohan crossed his arms. "That's a pretty long time for a guy to hold a grudge against another family's blood line", replied Gohan. The owl let out a loud, haunting screech.

"_**I've waited over thirty centuries for this moment, plotting the path that would inevitably lead to the Cooper's defeat! That is why I'm going to enjoy exterminating Sly and all of his friends, including you. I don't care what you are but it ends now!"**_

Gohan frowned and dropped into a fighting stance with Sly watching Gohan bravely step up to the plate. "If you're going to get through to Sly you'll have to go through me first! Let's go!" shouted the young Saiyan.

The owl's eyes flashed red and its laser cannons pointed at Gohan. **_"Very well then…have it your way."_**

Powering up, Gohan's white aura burst around him and instantly, the young warrior shot straight at Clockwerk, pulling one of his swords from behind his back with his right hand and gripping it in two hands. Before he was within reach of his opponent who was moving side to side slightly, Gohan gained a little more altitude so that he was above the giant bird and threw up his sword, his hands gripping the handle tightly, ready to strike.

With a loud yell, Gohan brought the blade down at Clockwerk's head, expecting to hit him. But before Gohan's blade could strike at Clockwerk's head, the bird suddenly vanished, Gohan's sword passing through a large afterimage and shadowy impression of the giant bird. Gohan gasped when he passed through the after image and he wheeled around, his eyes searching feverishly for his opponent.

Suddenly, Gohan sensed Clockwerk appear above him and he looked up, seeing the bird diving down at him, talons bearing and beak gaping, letting out a loud screech as he plummeted towards Gohan. The young Saiyan yelled in surprise and was vigorously slashed by the talons of the giant Clockwerk, the weight of his opponent sending him plummeting into the lava below.

Sly, Carmelita and Videl gasped when they saw Gohan fall from the sky towards the lava but sighed in relief when Gohan managed to pull up at the last minute before he was able to hit the lava, his sword still grasped firmly and his hands and his bruised face glaring up at Clockwerk floating high above.

The young Saiyan shook his head to clear it of its soreness and he shot straight back towards Clockwerk, brandishing his sword and pulling it behind him, ready to strike. Clockwerk chuckled when he saw Gohan approaching him.

"**_Your efforts are futile young warrior… my skill's are superior to yours",_** said Clockwerk.

Gohan completely ignored what Clockwerk said and continued his approach. Before he could reach Clockwerk or even come into striking range, he suddenly disappeared into super speed; his after image passing Clockwerk's startled face. Clockwerk looked around wildly, his wings still flapping as he attempted to find his opponent when he was suddenly smacked in the back of the head by Gohan's foot reappearing out of thin air along with Gohan who was glaring at Clockwerk, showing how much effort he had placed into the kick.

The kick Gohan had placed into Clockwerk did no damage at all except knock the big bird forward a few meters. When Clockwerk recovered from the kick, he spun around, wing still flapping and glared up at the young Saiyan. Before Gohan could make another attack, Clockwerk suddenly fired a dozen laser blasts up at the young Saiyan with the laser cannon on his back.

The blasts caught Gohan completely off guard, all of the blasts exploding on contact with Gohan's body. Gohan was repeatedly hit on his arms, legs and body and even caught one in his face, grunting with each blast impacting against him. When the last blast smacked into him, Gohan was thrown back, losing altitude and control over his flight ability.

Videl gasped when Gohan came falling towards her and Carmelita and they all took a step back when Gohan suddenly landed at their feet, his sword falling out of his hand. His eyes were clenched shut and his teeth were bared, biting back the pain.

Sly stared at the spot Gohan had landed in shock, seeing his friend's body all battered and bruised before looking up at Clockwerk, his teeth bared in anger. The giant owl chuckled, his wings still flapping and his red eyes glaring at Sly evilly.

"**_Your friend's bravery and efforts are wasted. He may be strong but no match for Clockwerk. Now, it's your turn Sly Cooper… it's your turn to fall", _**said Clockwerk. Sly turned his full body towards Clockwerk, holding up the joysticks and controls up, ready to move if Clockwerk decides to attack.

"Alright then Clockwerk, you and me, lets go!"

Carmelita stepped forward, pointing her pistol up at Clockwerk while communicating with Sly through her ear phone she had with her. **_"Sly, my blasts from my pistols didn't seem to hurt him when I versed him first but they did seem to create holes in his armor! Shoot into the gaps I create!"_**

Hearing this, Sly nodded and shot forward towards Clockwerk at full speed. The giant owl screeched and backed off before turning to an upright position and started flying forwards, escaping from Sly while aiming his cannons at the thief. Even though Clockwerk was flying away, Sly managed to keep up with him, his rockets working tirelessly to keep him by Clockwerk's side while he aimed his rocket launchers at Clockwerk using the green laser sighting attached to the launchers.

Moving so that he floated in front of Clockwerk, Sly aimed his rockets for the giant owls head at the same time Clockwerk aimed for Sly. The giant bird attacked first, unleashing a barrage of purple laser blasts, the same one's he had used against Gohan. The blasts shot through the air at a lightning fast rate but because both he and Sly were maneuvering through the air, all the blasts missed its target by a mile.

Aiming, Carmelita fired a blast from her shock pistol, the high powered electrical ball of energy shooting through the air and hitting Clockwerk in the face. The giant owl was caught off guard and immediately, visibility for him because an absolute 0. Currents of electricity began crackling all over his face, damaging his armor and making it weaker to attack.

Sly used this as his chance to attack and fired a dozen or so rounds straight for Clockwerk's face. The blasts from his rocket launchers struck Clockwerk simultaneously, exploding on impact and doing serious damage. The giant owl let out a low, metallic cry and shook off the effects of the shock pistol's blast before changing course and taking to the air at a higher altitude, over shadowing Sly before diving straight at him, bearing his talons in a threatening manner.

Sly gasped and tried to move, but he was struck down just like Gohan, but because of it, he was sent tumbling through the air but not enough to knock him to the ground. The moment he stopped spinning and shook his head to relieve the pain from attack, he saw that his clothes were already slightly ripped and battered, a grey bruise on his cheek.

Having lost his opponent, Sly began searching the skies and volcano around him for the sneaky bird. Just as he was looking from left to right, he suddenly sensed Clockwerk appear behind him and he spun around, seeing the giant bird floating in front of him.

Clockwerk was in no better state then Sly was. His face had been burned, battered and almost broken. It was black from ash and his neck was smoking from the damage it had suffered. It appears Sly and Carmelita had done the trick, but the giant owl wasn't down and out yet.

Clockwerk glared. **_"You're the weakest Cooper I have yet encountered"_** said the giant bird, bearing it talons and ready to grab the Raccoon out of the air.

Sly gasped and clenched his eyes, awaiting the punishing blow. But instead, he heard a loud explosion and a shriek initiated from the bird in front of him and looked up, a bright light issuing from Clockwerk's back along with a burst of flames, ash and pieces of metal flying everywhere. Sly reacted just in time to evade the Clockwerk when he suddenly fell towards him, plummeting at a dangerous rate, his back smoking.

Recovering from the blow to his back, Clockwerk wheeled around to see who had attacked him, his eyes focusing on the spot where the blast had come from. Sly, Videl and Carmelita also looked and discovered to their surprise that it was Gohan who had shot Clockwerk from the sky, his right hand held out and his palm smoking.

"Take that bird brain", said Gohan, lowering his hand, his eyes glaring down at the bird menacingly.

Clockwerk, who was just as surprised as the others let out a low growl and flapped his wings harder, gaining more altitude and floating up to a height equal to Gohan's, Sly floating way from Clockwerk's rage but still in between the two.

"**_I thought I had killed you already!"_** growled Clockwerk. Gohan sharpened his glare and balled his fists at his sides, taking a powering up stance.

"There is more to me then what meets your eye Clockwerk… HHIIYYYAAAHHHHHHH", screamed Gohan, powering up to his maximum. In a flash of light, his once black, messy hair suddenly flashed gold and lengthened, his hair reaching down to his knees and his eye brows suddenly burning away. His eyes also changed from black to dark turquoise with his pupils a darker turquoise.

His golden aura burst around him at a violent rate, accompanied by bolts of lightning and currents of electricity radiating from his body. Along with his transformation, a giant shock wave occurred, sending debris flying everywhere with a hurricane like wind pushing outwards from Gohan. Sly and Clockwerk were nearly knocked out of the sky from such force and Carmelita and Videl were nearly knocked off their feet.

When the winds and light finally died down, Sly and Clockwerk looked back at Gohan and discovered to their surprise a new warrior floating in Gohan's place. Surrounded by a bright golden light and sporting long, wavy golden hair floated a new, Super Saiyan 3 Gohan.

His eyes shot upwards and at Clockwerk, a flash of lightning passing over his serious features. "Its over Clockwerk, your rain of terror ends now", stated Gohan in a deeper, more serious and more mature voice. Clockwerk, who was still staring in shock chuckled lowly and aimed his laser cannons at the young Saiyan.

"**_Is over until I say it's over warrior! Prepare to meet your doom!"_**

Clockwerk let out another loud screech and charged at Gohan, completely bypassing Sly and slashing out at Gohan with its talons. Gohan, as easily as dodging a ball dodged the birds strikes with its claws before sliding under Clockwerk so that he flew over him and, when Clockwerk had completely bypassed him, Gohan cranked back his hand and threw a barrage of ki blasts in a single through, all the blasts flying straight at Clockwerk's damaged back.

Sly also jumped into the fray and fired a barrage of rocket blasts at Clockwerk at the same time Carmelita and Videl began firing their pistols up at Clockwerk, intent on speeding p the destructive process.

Clockwerk was hit in the back by Gohan's blasts and turned around his back smoking and his flight motion slightly messed up. But when he turned around, he was met with the rockets blasts and pistol blasts from Sly Cooper, Carmelita and Videl, their blasts impacting against Clockwerk and causing a chain reaction to follow.

The combined explosive force of all blasts combined caused by the impact of all blasts striking Clockwerk in exact unison fused the explosive force causing a much stronger explosion to form, doubling the damage placed on Clockwerk and because of his already damaged face and exposed back, the damage moved towards the wings.

When the smoke died down from the explosion and the rumbling had ceased, a now enraged Clockwerk emerged from the smoke, his exterior all battered and bruised. He let out a loud screech in disapproval.

"**_I refuse to be beaten, not after waiting a hundred years for this!"_** growled Clockwerk while trying to keep his position in the air. Gohan glared and charged, shooting through the air faster then anyone could see and with a force wind so tremendous that his flight path trailed across the lava surface.

Cranking back his fist, Gohan sent it straight at Clockwerk's face, smashing it hard. Surprisingly, Gohan was unable to dent the mighty owl's face but the impact didn't hurt his fist either. Perhaps it was just the type of metal used. But the blow did leave a small dent and it managed to throw Clockwerk back from the force of the blow.

Gohan smiled, his tone holding a bit more amusement then before. "Sorry to bust your bubble Clockwerk, but living for a hundred years just to take revenge on someone you hate isn't very sanitary", said Gohan, pulling back his left fist and sending it across Clockwerk's face again, smacking him sideward's.

Pulling back his right knee, Gohan threw it into Clockwerk's chest chassis, hitting it hard but not doing any real damage but create a big indent. Then, cupping his hands at his right while interlocking his fingers, Gohan sent a hammerlock straight up at Clockwerk's face again, this time doing more damage then before. He actually managed to shatter to right side of Clockwerk's face, exposing his vulnerable interior.

Finishing off his attack, Gohan pulled back his right leg and sent a roundhouse kick up at his opponent, smacking his across the chest and cracking it in the process. The force of the blow caused a shock wave, and from that force, Gohan sent Clockwerk sky rocketing.

Clockwerk flew at break neck speeds skywards, his eyes tightly shut and his metallic joints groaning in discomfort to the speeds Clockwerk was using. However, his flight path was soon to stop when Gohan suddenly appeared above him, his fists balled to his sides and floating in a powering up stance.

Pulling back his right fist into a powerful hook, bolts of lightning began sizzling around Gohan's constantly glowing aura as ell as the currents of electricity forming around his right arm and fist, preparing the young Saiyan and giving him enough power for the punch. Finally, when Clockwerk flew into Gohan's striking range, the young Saiyan let out a ell and threw his fist into Clockwerk's back, shattering his already exposed gears thanks to the ki blasts Gohan had used on Clockwerk before to weaken him.

Clockwerk let out a yell and began plummeting out of the sky at a fast speed, pieces of metal, gears and wires falling from their places on him as he fell. Gohan bared his teeth, biting back the pain he had from using that much force on such a hard type of metal. His right fist was still outstretched in the hook he used and was still sparkling with bolts of electricity.

Sly, Carmelita and Videl saw Clockwerk plummeting from the skies above and, reacting quickly, Sly punched his rockets on his jet back, gaining more altitude so that he was flying above the falling Clockwerk and let loose a few dozen of his energy rounds, sending them all at Clockwerk.

The rockets struck Clockwerk in his back, damaging his flight systems more and ceasing his flight ability's. The explosion was intense and all who were watching and listening in on the fight could hear the loud screech of Clockwerk through the loud explosion.

The explosion had formed a flaming hot cloud of fire, ash and smoke and it seemed to hoer in the air for a moment, but seconds later, the battered and damaged corpse of Clockwerk suddenly fell from the cloud, his body falling backwards and wings sticking upwards as he plummeted into the boiling lava below. Clockwerk disappeared into the lava lake with a splash, the gurgling sounds of him going under and the hissing sounds of metal evident in the air.

Sly smirked, followed by a still frowning Super Saiyan 3 Gohan appearing beside him. The young Saiyan was glaring down at the lava lake below as if knowing that Clockwerk was still alive. Carmelita and Videl thought it was over, both of them staring into the lava with eagerness etched in their eyes.

Bentley suddenly appeared on the air, cheering at Clockwerk's defeat. **_"Nice shooting guys! You got him!"_**

Bentley spoke too soon when suddenly, bursting out of the lava with rockets attached to his feet to keep him in the air was Clockwerk. He was a right darn mess, his armor all shattered and much more of his internal systems exposed. His wings were also messed up, so messed up that he couldn't fly without the support of the rockets at his feet keeping him suspended in the air.

To balance himself, Clockwerk had to hold his wings out as steering flaps as well as his tail feathers which were smoking from receiving damage. His face was also a big mess as it was all crumpled and burnt.

Floating up from the lava, Clockwerk came to float at least 30 meters in front of Sly, his yellow eyes bearing into the Raccoon's. Bentley was rather surprised.

"_**Wow, that's one tough owl…"**_

Sly however wasn't really surprised but curious. The other three present though were not. Gohan didn't know how Clockwerk could have survived lava like that and Carmelita and Videl were so hoping that that bird and his wings were finally clipped.

Sly shook his head as he stared at Clockwerk. "I don't get it. You were so familiar with my family you must have known my father had a son. If you hated the Cooper's so much, why did you let me live when you stole the Thievius Raccoonus", asked Sly. Gohan looked at his friend in surprise but, seeing as that Sly was trying to get answers to this returned his gaze to Clockwerk, eager to find out.

Clockwerk focused his glare on Sly, his eyes flashing a dangerous red alert red. **_"Because I wanted to show the world that without your precious book, the Cooper line was nothing!"_**

Sly smirked. "Ahh, well there's where you are wrong. The Thievius Raccoonus doesn't create great thieves it takes great thieves to create the Thievius Raccoonus."

Clockwerk screeched in anger and frustration. **_"ENOUGH Sly Cooper! It ends here… I'll finish you like I finished your father, then the Cooper line will be erased and the only master thief will be Clockwerk!"_**

Gohan growled in anger and was about to attack when Sly blocked off Gohan's path, the young Saiyan confused to his friend's move. Sly smiled as he glared at Clockwerk floating a few dozen meters away, the same thieving glint in his eyes.

"Gohan, let me deal with this one, I've got a score to settle", said Sly. Gohan looked a little skeptical but he agreed and backed off, allowing Sly to take the lead and watched as his friend shot towards the giant owl floating in front of them.

Sly hit the boosters on his rocket pack and shot straight at his opponent, determined to avenge his father s death and reclaim what was his. However, even though Clockwerk was severely damaged and on the verge of losing his altitude, it didn't mean that he wasn't dangerous.

Clockwerk let out a screech and suddenly, three new, different turrets appeared on him. One of which appeared on his head and another two appeared on the hand tips of his wings, all three of which began spinning with some sort of yellow light.

Sly saw this and dropped altitude a bit, shooting up at his opponent who began backing off slowly. Seeing this, Clockwerk began firing away with his new turrets. But instead of rockets, bullets or laser appearing out of these turrets, rings of electrical energy came shooting out, each with a high voltage level of over 10 000, capable of frying Sly and his beloved friends.

The rings shot at Sly like bullets, their size indicating that they were able to swallow him whole or bound him tightly, but first they would have to attach to him for the necessary effects to occur. Sly was too quick though and dodged the first three rings fired at him, the rings shooting downwards and landing in the lava pool below where they were turned to ash.

Sly had to move from left to right to avoid the rings and once they had passed, he shot up at Clockwerk, needing to get into the proper range to strike. It took a while, but Clockwerk managed to reload his turret's and fire off another three rings at Sly.

Sly flipped over the first one then shifted to the right to avoid the next, and then pulled up higher into the air to avoid the last one, and as soon as they all passed, Sly hit the boosters on his pack and took off at Clockwerk, pulling his joy sticks to a firing position at the same time hearing his rocket launchers load.

Clockwerk let out a yell as his turrets worked tirelessly to reload. **_"You cannot dodge me forever!"_**

Clockwerk hen let out a screech as soon as Sly reached fire effective range and attempted to blast the Raccoon with the cannons at his feet. He was unable to though and was met with barrage after barrage of energy rockets fired by Sly from the launchers on his pack, the blasts of highly explosive energy striking Clockwerk from head to toe and wing tip to wing tip.

The blasts ruptured Clockwerk's inside gears and buckled Clockwerk's joints while smashing into him relentlessly, the highly explosive charges exploding and clouding Clockwerk's visibility. Sly grinned when he saw that his blasts were beginning to put damage into his opponent and continued peppering away, using his launchers like machine gun. But this was just the beginning.

Having enough of being battered, Clockwerk's boosters on his rocket pads took effect and the giant owl flew upwards, letting out a loud screech and charging out at Sly, avoiding the continuous barrage of rockets blasts. Sly knew that Clockwerk would manage to pull himself through and, with a growl, hit the acceleration on his pack, his boosters bursting into action and he shot straight at the giant eagle, pulling out his cane from behind him. It was time for a little high flying action!

Clockwerk attempted to ram into his opponent, at the same time using his claws to claw at his opponent but Sly avoided the giant owl's head butt and slashed at Clockwerk's exposed back as he passed over the bird. Clockwerk let out a loud screech, feeling Sly attack him and spun around as soon as he could, changing course and shooting straight at Sly behind him, this time, attempting to slash him with his claws.

Sly avoided the razor sharp claws, only to have his shirt cut and, while ducking underneath Clockwerk, struck up at his tail feathers, slicing off a huge chunk of the giant owl's steel appendages. He had to avoid the rockets as well, feeling the heat from the high powered flames almost grazing his fur.

Clockwerk let out another discomforting screech and spun around one more, this time at a higher altitude. As soon as he was positioned, he let loose another wave of turret fire, the three rings from his ring launchers shooting straight at Sly.

Sly was caught off guard and moved left and right to avoid the first two, but the third one passed right through him with him in the centre. Sly suddenly felt the full effects of the oversized ring and screamed as thousands of vaults of energy struck him. But the ring moved too quickly to stick and passed through him, leaving Sly hovering where he was, almost unconscious.

The Raccoon groaned and looked up, seeing that he lost quite a bit of altitude. The ring may have only grazed him with most of its deadly electricity but he was just lucky to not have been encased by it completely. However, he found himself unable to move and Clockwerk saw this, using his opponent's disadvantage to his advantage and dived at him, talons at the ready.

"**_My intellect is refined! My skill is superior. You cannot escape me, Cooper Raccoon!"_** yelled Clockwerk, entering Sly's attacking range. Sly growled and awaited the deadly blow, but before he could feel the sting of Clockwerk's talons, he suddenly saw Clockwerk revert to the side and heard a loud screech from the bird along with a shock wave, a large dent appearing in his chest chassis and pieces of gear falling from the giant owl.

Surprised none to say the least, Sly's confusion was settled when he saw a Super Saiyan 3 Gohan appear in a punch position, his fist still held out. Sly was glad to see him, and in the nick of time too.

"Gohan", shouted Sly. Gohan turned in the air to face him, Clockwerk having recovered but had been disarrayed in his flight, his position now floating several meters away from the pair.

"Never mind the formalities, time's wasting I'll hold him off while you get ready to make the final move", said Gohan. Sly nodded and tried to move but failed because his limbs weren't responding. He was still sizzling from the ring attack and his clothes were slightly burnt and even more ripped.

Gohan flew towards Clockwerk, Sly still floating behind him and dropped into a fighting stance, the giant owl glaring at him with hate filled eyes. Gohan frowned at the giant owl floating before him, a current of electricity passing over his body.

"Ready for the pain", asked Gohan. Clockwerk growled.

"**_I am superior to you… you will never win!"_** said Clockwerk. Gohan smiled confidently, his Super Saiyan 3 features enhancing his smile as his Saiyan side tainted his heart to suit the mood.

"We'll see about that!"

Letting out a yell, Gohan shot at Clockwerk and nailed the giant bird in the face with a punch, knocking the giant bird's brain into submission, meaning he had permanently put out the bird's locater and systems. He had also managed to crack up the giant bird's face even more and the instant he had sent that mind blowing punch into Clockwerk's face, the giant owl went plummeting into the lava below, landing smack bang right in the middle of the boiling lake of lava.

Setting himself up, Gohan spun through the air and then pointed both his hands out and down at the lava. Powering up his final attack, Gohan unleashed a barrage of blaster fire down onto the lava's surface. "Double-lethal-missile-fire!"

The rain of blasts shot into the lava and at their target, repeatedly hitting it before Gohan ceased his attack, a final explosion rupturing from underneath the lava's surface in the form of a ball of orange fire and hot air bubbles. The explosion was muffled by the lava itself but as soon as the gurgling stopped, debris and huge pieces of metal came top float atop of the lava's surface and with it, Clockwerk came to the surface, on his stomach, his wings flapping helplessly and his head shifting around feverishly.

Gohan turned to Sly. "Now is your only chance Sly! You've got to get to his head before his auto-reconstruct circuitry kicks in", yelled Gohan.

Sly, who had finally recovered from the ring attack nodded and shot down towards the squirming Clockwerk floating in the lava below. As soon as he reached the giant owl, his jet-pack gave in and Sly unbelted himself, falling from the sky and landing on his two feet atop of Clockwerk's crumpled and battered back, avoiding the still moving components under the giant owl's outer chassis.

Clockwerk was a real mess now and looked as though he won't be able to take any more damage. But even though he was unable to attack because he was so big, he could still kick his circuits back into motion and attack at any time, so Sly had to move fast.

One of Clockwerk's feet, his right left foot was sticking out of the boiling lava and was smoking from being burned and grasped tightly within his claw was the remaining pages of the Thievius Raccoonus. But because Clockwerk was still alive Sly couldn't risk grabbing the ages yet and turned on Clockwerk. The ancient and evil owl was muttering stuff under his voice, like 'immortal', 'feet together', 'can't lose' and other stuff similar to his defeat. His systems were really screwed up now, he even lost most of his ability to think straight and talk properly.

Running up to Clockwerk's neck, the giant head of Clockwerk suddenly spun around, almost knocking Sly back but it popped into place and started grabbing out at him with his razor sharp beak. Sly could now see how damaged he was and if Clockwerk were a living creature then Sly would cringe. His face was all bent, twisted, burnt and crooked as well as dented and crunched up. They must have done a real number one on this bird, but they felt little pity towards this evil night clock.

Clockwerk screeched loudly, his gears showing in his throat and trickle of oil running down from his beak. **_"COOPER! You will never be rid of me! Clockwerk is… superior",_** growled the mighty bird, his voice sort of jumpy and low because of his busted parts and voice box. Sly glared and pulled back his cane behind him with his right hand, the golden C shaped hook glinting in the lava's light.

"You have so got to die!"

In one swift and powerful movement, Sly leapt at Clockwerk's head and sliced at the giant birds face, knocking it hard and shattering what little gear there was to be shattered. The instant Sly had sent that killer blow at Clockwerk's head; the giant owl's head was sliced off, cleaving in two before everyone's eyes and ending the maniacal thief's life once and for all.

Clockwerk was finished!

* * *

_**Sly's thoughts…**_

"It took some tricky maneuvering, but I managed to grab that last piece of the Thievius Raccoonus from Clockwerk's claw. The war between the Cooper gang and the Fiendish five was finally over and the world was now a better place."

"Though we found it tough at times, we had managed to pull through. Both me and Gohan had taken on each member of the Fiendish five: Raleigh, Muggshot, Mz. Ruby, the Panda King and finally Clockwerk. We'd beaten them all one by one and retrieved the Thievius Raccoonus, my birth right."

"But, there was no way I would have gotten this far without the help of my pals. I know it has been a tough journey for them and all of us, but they stuck with me through it all. Gohan had gone through a lot of tough ordeals in the past but he had managed to do the impossible and succeed. It was a real privilege and a spectacle to see my best friend in action, and I'm sure he had enjoyed his time out on the field, and I'm grateful for it. (Laughs) Murray, boy… it took him a lot of guts to get out in the field with us. I know he was scared, but he's got more heart then anyone I've ever known. And thank goodness for Bentley, without his expertise, I would never have gotten off of that rooftop back in Paris. A guy couldn't ask for a better gang of friends."

"But right now, Clockwerk's defeat was the least of our troubles…"

* * *

_**Sitting on top of a platform over looking the lava lake below…**_

Gohan and Sly stood side by side atop of the platform, gazing at the remains of Clockwerk and his death ray below with pride in their eyes. Sly had his cane slung over his shoulder and a big smile on his face while Gohan had his arms crossed and a very Vegeta like smirk in play.

Both had just landed here after their recent ordeal and battle with the infamous Clockwerk and finally, they could both take a breather. Gohan had recently powered down from Super Saiyan 3 and was feeling a little weak from the fatigue caused by the transformation. But, being the strong half Saiyan he was, he was able to keep his footing.

Bentley and Murray had just arrived on the scene, the team van parked beneath the platform to Gohan and Sly's right close to the shores of the lava lake. Both Murray and Bentley had exited the van and were celebrating the defeat of Clockwerk and cheering wildly for themselves, the team and Gohan and Sly for their heroic success.

Sly and Gohan chuckled at the sight and cheers, but when two shadows and two presences came up behind them, their hopes and celebrations soon died down when they spun around to be met with the barrels of both Carmelita and Videl.

The two cops had made their way up to them from the ledge by the lava pits and no had their attentions focused on their primary targets. Videl had her Lugar pistol out and was aiming it at Gohan while Carmelita was pointing her shock pistol at Sly and twirling a pair of handcuffs in her left hand.

Gohan and Sly took a step back in surprise but found that they had ran out of room and met the end of the road, literally. One more step in any direction and they would be falling to their fates sooner then they thought, the lake of lava bubbling behind and beneath them.

Murray and Bentley had stopped celebrating and was trembling limb from limb, seeing their best friends at the mercy of both cop women. Not knowing what to do Murray and Bentley dashed inside the van and started it up in hopes that Sly and Gohan would be able to slip out of their predicament and get to the van so to make their escape. They knew their duties and prepared to make their escape. They wouldn't leave their friends tails hanging out to dry anyway.

Sly was really worried at the time, sure that Carmelita would slap the hand cuffs on him right then and that he and Gohan would be transported to prison. Gohan however wasn't as worried as Sly and merely stared at Videl with a serious expression. At these situations, a thief would really lose his cool, but Gohan was more disappointed then worried.

Both Carmelita and Videl smirked at the two thieves while pulling back the firing pins on their weapons. "You two are under arrest", they both said in unison. "Got you…"

Sly sighed and looked over at Gohan. "Guess this is the end of the line for us partner", said Sly. Gohan shrugged, ignoring the clanging of his two swords on his back.

"Guess so…"

Carmelita grinned. "Oh really? For what I remember I promised you Sly a ten second head start didn't I", said Carmelita, catching Gohan and Sly's remember. Sly's cool returned immediately and he smiled with a nod.

"Yeah, I remember that", replied Sly. Videl nodded, both women still holding up their pistols and aiming them at their targets.

"Yes, and I suppose that two master thieves like you wouldn't give up this easily now would you. You'll eventually find a way out of here", asked the raven haired girl. Gohan smirked.

"Of course we do", replied Gohan. Both he and Sly had a mischievous glint in their eyes and they both nodded to each other, as if knowing what the other wanted to do next.

Carmelita smiled, both she and Videl not noticing the nod Gohan and Sly had given each other. "Alright then. Both of you will get your ten seconds, and if you're not gone within ten seconds, you're going down", said Carmelita. Gohan and Sly grinned.

"That's fine with me", said Sly, leaning on his cane while Gohan crossed his arms and leaned against the railings of the platform they were cornered on.

"OK", said Videl.

10…

9…

8…

Carmelita and Videl slowly began to approach while Gohan and Sly stood where they were. Sly was still leaning against his cane, his Thievius Raccoonus book stashed away in his backpack while Gohan stood where he was with his arms folded over his chest. Both thieves were staring at Videl and Carmelita with smirks and mischievous smiles in place.

It confused both cops that the two thieves hadn't even tried to make a break for it and that struck them as funny…

7…

6…

5…

Sly tipped his hat and Gohan just shook his head. He had known Sly long enough to know what the Raccoon was planning and as usual, needed his help in these situations. Though Gohan wasn't hesitant about it, he did find it a peculiar situation.

Carmelita raised an eyebrow and looked over at Videl who shrugged back at her in puzzlement and continued approaching the pair in front of them,. Videl was considering in bringing out her handcuffs to place them on Gohan but she knew they weren't needed now.

4…

3…

2…

A staring contest was initiated by all four people on the platform. With Gohan and Sly cornered and Carmelita and Videl within arms reach and holding the pistols up at their target's time seemed to stand still in those brief moments.

Eyes burned deeply into the other and nobody dared to say a word…

And then…

Gohan suddenly darted forward and placed encased Videl in his arms, catching the raven haired girl off guard and gave her a soft, tender kiss on the lips. Videl gasped in surprise but sooner then expected, returned it by wrapping her arms around Gohan's neck and pulling him close.

TO BE CONTINUED…


	11. Mission accomplished

DRAGONBALL Z **meets _Sly Cooper_**

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

Smack and bang, it was performed in one swift movement. First Gohan was standing fearless before the firing squad and then he was suddenly kissing Videl right on the platform above a lake of boiling lava, not having a care in the world about who was watching. He really didn't care anyway, now that Clockwerk was dead and all four of them had cheated death along the road to this point, he was going to relive every moment of it.

Carmelita was startled beyond belief at the sight next to her, the expression on her face one of shock and surprise as she stared at both Gohan and Videl with wide eyes and an open mouth. She may have objected to it but Videl didn't and there was absolutely nothing she could do about it. She hardly expected Gohan to just rush up and lock lips with her partner, and she had never expected Videl to return it so passionately. This defied everything she stood and worked for.

Sly however wasn't surprised. In fact, he was looking rather pleased. He had stopped leaning on his cane and was now standing where he was with his arms crossed beside the shocked cop woman Carmelita. He knew from the beginning that it was some time over the quest for the Thievius Raccoonus did Gohan and Videl finally get together. He knew it the instant Gohan returned to the van from his mission in China after defeating the Panda King. It was pretty obvious though. Sly hadn't seen Gohan so happy or felt such positive rays coming off of Gohan for a long time.

Gohan and Videl stayed in their position and not to mention kiss for a minute or so before they finally pulled away, Gohan smiling down at Videl while Videl smiled back up at him, her eyes half-idled in satisfaction and appreciation. It was when they broke away did Carmelita burst out into hysterics.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING VIDEL!? He's a God damn thief", screamed Carmelita. Videl shook her head, not taking her eyes away from Gohan.

"He's not just a thief Carmelita. I tried to tell you this before", said Videl, laying her head against Gohan's chest and allowing her to be soothed by his gentle heart beat. "He's a good man, charming, kind, handsome… the works." Gohan smiled and wrapped his arms around Videl and rocked her gently, laying his head against hers.

Carmelita immediately gave up and her head hung. She felt her limbs go weak and she could swear that if she had to endure more of this then she would definitely faint. However, she was brought back into reality when Sly laid his hand onto her shoulder.

Looking up at Sly standing beside her she saw him give him one of his kinder smiles and feel his hand give her a reassuring squeeze. After staring up at the Raccoon for a couple more seconds she could feel those emotions erupting to the surface again and she clenched her eyes shut, turning away and shaking her head violently.

"_NO CARMELITA! Don't even think about that kind of stuff! He's a thief, and you know that he's bad news!"_ thought Carmelita to herself, screaming orders to her to not fall victim to Sly's charming exterior. However, all words failed and Carmelita allowed her defenses to drop and turned to look up at Sly, standing back up into a more proper posture.

Her pistol had been lowered enough for Sly to get closer to her and, while Carmelita was captivated by Sly's dazzling features, Sly wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him, locking lips with the day dreaming vixen.

Carmelita was so caught up in staring into Sly's eyes that she didn't notice that he was kissing her, or she was kissing him! It didn't matter anyway. All that mattered was that even though she was surprised that she had allowed Sly to kiss her, she was suddenly pulled into new world and feeling for the thief and immediately, wrapped her arms around Sly and kissed him back, getting as close as possible to the ring tailed Raccoon.

Gohan and Videl saw this and chuckled, both of them crossing their arms and looking on in interest and looking quite pleased.

"Well, would you look at that", said Gohan. Videl nodded with a sigh and wrapped her arms around Gohan's right arm, laying her head against his shoulder.

"Even out of bad things something beautiful can form, isn't that sweet", asked Videl. Gohan nodded.

"You've got that right Videl", replied Gohan.

Gohan and Videl didn't know how long they stood where they were but they were sure it was over two minutes before they saw Sly and Carmelita part lips and gaze into each other's lights. In this light, Gohan and Videl could see a clearly different change in Carmelita's features. She was looking like she had actually enjoyed the kiss and was staring up at Sly lovingly as was Sly who was returning her loving gaze with one of his own.

Sly's eyebrows made an upwards motion of appreciation as he stared at Carmelita encased in his arms, his expression both charming and handsome in the vixen's eyes. "So, want to reconsider that verdict?" asked the thief.

Carmelita blinked a couple of times then smiled, letting her head rest against Sly's chest. "Perhaps. But heck, I caught you didn't I", replied Carmelita. Sly shrugged.

"In a manner of speaking yes, but not in the way you had expected it", said Sly. Carmelita giggled silently, something Sly hadn't heard come from her lips in years.

"No, but this is much better. But when that actual time comes, I hope you will be ready for it", replied Carmelita. Sly shrugged and rubbed Carmelita's back with his nimble yet strong hands.

"I hope you're ready to, and don't expect me to go easy on you", said Sly.

The two stayed like that for a while now, with Gohan and Videl still watching them intently. However, time was brought back into motion and Gohan turned to Videl, pulling away from her and escaping her grip. Videl looked up at him in surprise.

"Sorry Videl, but I'm afraid we have to split now", said Gohan with a shrug. "I hope I'll see you again next time." Videl smiled and nodded in response.

"I hope so to, but lets hope it's in our off duty encounters next time", said Videl. Gohan shrugged.

"Who knows, I'll surprise you", replied Gohan. He then raised his right hand in a salute. "Good-bye Inspector."

With that, Gohan leapt over Videl effortlessly and sprinted to the end of the platform, turning and waiting for Sly to follow. The Raccoon, who had seen Gohan leap and make his exit did so too, leaving Carmelita's embrace with a kiss and a final farewell before zipping past her and after Gohan. As soon as Sly reached Gohan, the two of them side by side sprinted down to the van, waiting for them at the bottom of the gravel like hill, the back doors open.

As soon as they both hopped in, the van sped off, the doors shutting behind it. Before Carmelita and Videl knew it, the van was already gone, dust hurling over the horizon.

The two cop women continued to stare off into the slowly sun rising sunset and after which a few minutes had past they both let out a sigh and turned to each other. Carmelita chuckled and laid her shock pistol over her shoulder. Considering its size, it was possible and it weighed as much as a Magnum 44.

"I'm satisfied with my guy, how about you", asked Carmelita. Videl giggled, a red blush appearing on her cheeks.

"Definitely. But what should we do if we do catch up with them in the future", asked Videl. Carmelita shrugged.

"Don't know, use your imagination", said Carmelita. Suddenly, her expression turned serious and she used this expression on Videl. "If word gets out we're actually meeting those two in secret then it could ruin our careers. Make sure no one hears about this except us… OK."

Videl nodded. "OK."

With a final nod, Carmelita turned to the lava lake beneath the platform as did Videl, their eyes glowing in the red light emitted by the boiling liquid. Memories of their battle with Clockwerk soon flowed into their minds, a sight they would not soon forget and would be looking to this day for years to come. They just hoped that it was all over.

Unknown to the two of them, as they stared down at the wreckage and burnt remains of the infamous Clockwerk, they failed to notice that on the shattered remains of his head, the giant owl's left eye suddenly opened up with whir, exposing a red, strong glow.

For the world, a sight like that spelt more trouble to come…

* * *

_**Sly's thoughts…**_

"That moment back on that platform was a moment that both me and Gohan would remember for the rest of our lives, a story we would tell our children when we grow up and write in the history book of thieves; as for the ordeal that we had been hard pressed into for these past couple of months. It was fun all the same and now it was over. But I knew that our gang would soon meet up with both Carmelita and Videl soon enough. Maybe next time, it would be more worth while…"

* * *

_**Character power level(s):**_

Cooper gang:

_Sly Cooper: 950_

_Sly Cooper (with Delta type jet-pack): 50,000,000_

_Murray: 1,050_

_Bentley: 60_

_Gohan: 160,000,000_

_Super Saiyan Gohan: 300,000,000_

_Super Saiyan 2: 500,000,000_

_Super Saiyan 3: 1,800,000,000_

Fiendish Five:

_Sir Raleigh: 500_

_Sir Raleigh (bloated): 1,220_

_Muggshot: 250,000,000_

_Mz. Ruby: 500_

_Mz. Ruby (magic): 300,000,000_

_Panda King: 162,000,000_

_Panda King (Flame Fu): 280,000,000_

_Clockwerk: 200,000,000_

_Clockwerk (Laser cannons): 250,000,000_

_Clockwerk (Electro rings): 1000_

_Clockwerk (weakened): 500_

Interpol:

_Inspector Carmelita Montoya Fox: 650_

_Inspector Videl Bideru Satan: 890_

Other: 

_Sir Raleigh's riot guards: 115_

_Muggshot's guard dogs: 125_

_Muggshot's riot guards: 150_

_Mz. Ruby's ghost guards (Voodoo guards): 165_

_Mz. Ruby's suicide roosters: 1,000_

_Panda King Gorilla guards: 150_

_Robo Falcons: 200_

_Interpol Police: 200_

_Interpol Riot Police: 1,500_

_Interpol SWAT: 1650

* * *

_

TO BE CONTINUED…


	12. Heart of a Thief

DRAGONBALL Z **meets _Sly Cooper_**

THE HEART OF A THIEF

_**Sly's thoughts…**_

"At long last, the Thievius Raccoonus was finally restored to its original state!"

"The first time I had held the whole thing under my arms since I was eight years old. The same weight my ancestor's had felt beneath their arms as they had passed in. Though, while other members of my family may have been great thieves, they all inherited the book, I got a chance to earn it!"

"I had taken down the Fiendish five, having used the moves my ancestor's taught me and become a master thief along the way. The time had come where I would chronicle my own adventures in the great book!"

"This was going to be fun!"

* * *

Two years have passed since the Cooper gang had confronted each member of the Fiendish five and have defeated each and every one of them. Now with the rival gang defeated, the Cooper gang became the most popular gang across the globe, and with Sly Cooper, the worlds greatest thief at its head, the Cooper clan regained its reputation.

Ever since the Fiendish five had been defeated, the Cooper gang had been growing stronger and more skilled then ever. Sly had mastered all the traits his ancestor's possessed as well as strengthening his own physical being so to endure all types of skills and techniques he used, becoming more evasive, swift and witty. His outfit hadn't changed much except for the back pack he wore. Figuring it would get in the way and that it lacked efficiency, he designed a new pack so that it was strapped to his left upper thigh of his leg so he could gain access to some of his thieving accessories including his family's book, the Thievius Raccoonus.

Gohan had been honing in on his skills and training so to become stronger then he was before. After helping defeat Clockwerk, perhaps one of the most experienced and terrifying opponents he had versed had shown him how far a metallic body and new technology could take you, thus, pushing him to an all new level. For those couple of years he had been focusing a bit more on his studying sessions with Bentley, thieving skills with Sly and had been giving himself almost brutal training sessions so to endure the effects of his new Super Saiyan 3. In secret though, he had been meditating to try and strengthen his more latent transformation. His outfit had also taken a wild changed. Keeping his black gi with the red belt and red wrist bands, he also wore a under red gi under his black gi top so his outfit resembled Goku's but with a different color. He also wore the same pack Sly wore on his leg, strapping it to his gi pants for more efficient uses. Also, he still used his two symbolic swords he had taken from the Panda King, adding it to his arsenal and giving a fierce, warrior impression. To finish off his outfit, he also wore a mask just like Sly with the two straps hanging at the back of his head.

Murray has also refined his own skills. He had been developing a bit more confidence, has improved his driving skills along courses created by Bentley and more importantly, has also gotten stronger. Seeing his friends in action triggered him to move more out onto the field so to offer his friends a hand whenever he was needed. He even designed a costume for himself so he blended in with the gang. He wore a WWII pilot's hat, a pair of thick goggles that added up as glasses, a paratrooper scarf and brown, fighting gloves. He still wore his regular blue top though, his new outfit giving him the new name… 'The Murray'!

Bentley has also been doing some serious research and study sessions. His hacking skills had improved ever since the Clockwerk incident and he had also been designing weapons his friends could use in their future heists. Creating an outfit of his own made from enhanced shell armor, a British explorers helmet and armed with a crossbow packed with ammo from his new utility belt, he became a full fledged thief in no time.

Together, the gang disembarked on quests that focused around their gang's code: "Only by stealing from a master criminal can you call yourself a master thief!" And that was precisely what they did.

Stealing from criminals far and wide, their reputation became known among all head criminal organizations. With the Fiendish five out of the ring of organized crime, all criminals and criminal organizations in and around that ring were now competing for the place previously owned by the Fiendish five. Cooper and his gang took this opportunity to their advantage. With competition, there were always some valuables and treasures to up hold, and to steal.

On all heists they under took, the Cooper gang were always pursued by Inspector Carmelita Fox and Inspector Videl Satan. The chases were tough as Carmelita and Videl were becoming stronger and more alert now with their new connections to the gang but as usual, the Cooper gang always managed to slip away. Much to the girl's delight, they always enjoyed their obsessive pursuits as it added a purpose in their work, as well as a chance to meet Gohan and Sly at their rendezvous.

Sly and Gohan however weren't really that impressed though. For years they had come and gone with their favorite cop woman for too long, and without any time to spend time with them. So they both cooked up a plan to meet their girl friends and share their time with them permanently. But these were their own private heists and they were planning to undertake it no matter what.

After the Monaco heist, Gohan and Sly followed the two cop women back to their apartments in Paris with Bentley and Murray tailing after them. One night, after bidding Bentley and Murray to stay at their hide out, Gohan and Sly took their separate routes and disappeared into the streets of Paris.

This is where the fun really begins…

* * *

_**Paris, France**_

_**Midnight…**_

_**Inspector Videl Satan's apartment…**_

Videl Satan had just finished a nice hot shower and was stepping out of the bathroom with were white robe tide tightly around her, a towel in hand and wiping off the moisture that dripped from her hair and perhaps some other parts of the body she failed to dry off.

Steam from her bathroom issued out when she stepped through the door and she shivered slightly when the cold atmosphere of her bedroom hugged at her bare legs and arms, not to mention her dripping hair.

Her apartment had a basic setup and was cleaned in a manner of a woman fitting her caliber. The floor was carpeted a nice purple and her walls were painted blue but the ceiling remained white. The same could be spoken for her bed. It was a double Queen sized bed that had white blankets, white pillows and a white mattress. It may have been old but it looked brand spanking new.

Her bed was placed up against the right side of her room while the rest of her room was decorated with a few other pieces of furniture. A cupboard stood by on her left wall and along the wall beside her bed was a drawer and a table top beside her bed holding a lamp and a few accessories scattered across the one legged table top.

Beside her tall cupboard was a doorway leading into her kitchen and dining room which were all confined into one room. It was pretty big so it wasn't too squashy but her bathroom was divided from the rooms.

As for her apartment, it was seated in the building on the third floor above the streets below and so, she had a balcony to go with it, her basic apartment in view of the Eiffel tower gleaming on the horizon. Her balcony was pretty basic too with a tile floor, black metal railing with a couple of flower pots in the corners and a outdoor table set so that whenever she was having breakfast and wanted to witness to sunrise she would sit at the table and eat.

It may have been an apartment but to her, it was still home.

Sighing in satisfaction and flinging her towel over her shoulder, she walked over to her balcony and leaned against the railings, looking out into the distance and taking in the sweet fresh air. The stars shined brightly above her as well as the crescent moon, adding a romantic tone to the beautiful night time image.

"_It's so wonderful out here. If only Gohan were with me to enjoy it",_ thought Videl, her mind suddenly shifting and focusing on that handsome thief that had been her obsession, his face casting across her dreams and day time thoughts. She just could not get him out of her head.

If he could only be in her life as a lover, a permanent partner who could offer her comfort and fill in the empty space on her bed. Gohan was someone who always understood her and shared a lot of stuff in common with her. They were both apart of the chain of law and they both shared a love for fighting. She also saw him almost every time, for example those tireless cops and robbers chases they had but that was when she was also chasing him with Carmelita by her side with her chasing Sly.

Videl shrugged and rubbed the tiredness out of her eyes, letting out a yawn and stretching out, relieving from the nice shower she had. _"I think its time for me to hit the hay",_ she thought, turning around and starting to walk back into her apartment.

Just as she was about to step through the doorway she heard a clatter beside her and turned to the circular table to her right on her balcony. Surprise appeared on her face when she saw a bottle of Champagne with two glasses and two roses sitting in a thin, transparent glass vase filled with water. Along with the gear set out on the table was a square shaped card with the symbolic fighting sign that Gohan symbolized himself as.

Smiling, Videl reached for the card and opened it, reading the writing inscribed on its thin surface. It said. _"Turn around…"_

Videl giggled and did what the card said, turning around, and her eyes meeting the black orb eyes of Son Gohan. His nose was just a centimeter away from Videl's and it was this way because he was hanging upside down from the ledge above Videl's balcony, using the one of his hook like swords as a support unit. It seemed more fitting to use his weapon then his ki and besides, he liked the swords.

The young Saiyan grinned at her. "Hello there beautiful", said Gohan. Videl giggled again while moving her hand through her silky, long black hair, the silky strands shining in the night. Because her balcony lights were turned on and the lamp on her bedside table was turned on, visibility was still clear.

"Hello there handsome", replied Videl. The young Saiyan flipped over and landed on his feet on the balcony with a light thud, spinning his sword and shoving it back onto his back. Videl could now see him fully and she liked what she saw. A handsome, muscular man dressed in his symbolic black and red gi improved with a red mask hiding his matured features. She never got tired of seeing him like this and always enjoyed his company.

Leaning up and wrapping her arms around Gohan's neck, they both locked each other in a tender kiss and then pulled away a few seconds later, with Videl still having her arms wrapped around him as she gazed up into his enchanting eyes.

"What are you doing here", she asked. Gohan chuckled.

"Come on, do I need an excuse to see my favorite cop woman who, by the way is the sexiest woman on the face of this planet", replied Gohan. Videl giggled again, a light red blush streaking across her cheeks.

"No, you don't need an excuse. But, as you can see, I'm not really dressed for the occasion", said Videl. Gohan shrugged and ran a hand over Videl's cheek.

"That's OK. I'm not really dressed up either. Besides, you look great in anything", said Gohan. Videl smiled and laid her head against his chest, enjoying the warmth that spread throughout her body. She was flattered by Gohan's well spoken comments and loved the way loving expression he always gave her, enhancing his charm as well as his handsome visage.

How she longed to have Gohan as her one and only for the rest of her life. All this come and going stuff in the field was beginning to be a real bore and she wanted to experience something longer, for just one night at least. The night was young and so was she, and the atmosphere definitely suited the condition.

She looked up at Gohan and smiled. "So", she slowly said, gesturing over to the bottle of Champagne. "You had a date planned, she asked. Gohan shrugged, flashing his handsome grin.

"If you want to, I mean I did plan this didn't I. But I would hate to deny you anything", said Gohan. Videl shrugged and, grasping Gohan's hand in hers pulled him over to the table. Gohan however stopped and, reaching over to the Champagne, he opened it, the cork from the bottle popping out and a stream of bubbles emptying out onto the table. Videl laughed, closing one eye and turning away when the frothy liquid poured out.

Gohan chuckled in anticipation and, taking the two glasses, poured some champagne into both of the glasses and, like the gentleman he was, handed one of them to Videl who took it willingly. Together, the two of them tapped the glasses together and then sipped the Champagne. After that, they lowered their glasses and turned to each other, Videl letting out a satisfied moan.

"Hmm… that's good. How long have you had it", she asked. Gohan shrugged.

"I was saving it for a special occasion. For as far as I can remember, I was saving it for a first date", replied Gohan. Videl nodded, folding her arms over her chest after setting her glass down.

"Uh-huh, and who was the occasion", she asked. Gohan smiled at her, setting down his glass.

"Who do you think", he asked. Videl smiled and walked up to him, hugging him tightly.

"Can I answer that in my own way", she asked while running a finger over his chest. Gohan smirked and nodded.

"Be my guest." Videl giggled and leaned up, locking lips with him in a passionate kiss, her arms circulating around his neck as she pulled herself closer to him. Gohan returned the kiss and wrapped his arms around her waste, their tongues caressing in each other's mouths as they pressed their bodies against each other.

As they kissed, Videl's robe suddenly loosened a bit and feeling this, Videl pulled away and looked down to see that the knot she had made was unraveling itself, revealing more then what she had hoped for. Gohan noticed this too but looked up instantly when he saw it so to not allow his glance to turn into a stare.

Videl saw Gohan look down at her and she blushed heavily, seeing Gohan turn away sharply after staring for that split second. Then, a devilish thought crossed her mind and she looked up at Gohan, raising an eyebrow. "Remember how you said you would like me in anything?" she asked in a naughty tone of voice. Gohan smirked.

"I did say _anything_, didn't I?"

Videl grinned. "Of course…" Suddenly, she grasped Gohan's hand in hers and pulled him into her apartment, the doors to her balcony shutting and locking and then a few seconds later, the lights went out.

* * *

_**Somewhere across town**_

_**Inspector Carmelita's apartment…**_

Carmelita had just finished her shower, just as she always did at the end of a long day and was just drying herself off, walking out of the bathroom at the same time with her purple robe tide firmly around her. Of course it was a bit flimsy but what did she care, it was her apartment, and she could do whatever she wanted.

After vigorously drying herself and hanging the towel around her neck, she walked over to her balcony door and closed it, locking it and heading over to her bed seated in the corner of the room, not even bothering to look out onto the night lights of Paris. When she got to her bed, she rolled out onto it and let out a half idled sigh, looking up at her white ceiling above her.

"What a day, I honestly need a vacation", said Carmelita, running a hand through her blue hair, curly hair. She felt so relieved after her shower, she felt that she could drop out right there and now, but something distracted her from that and she sat up at the sounds of a racket going on outside on her balcony. Looking out the glass doors in surprise, Carmelita stood up and walked over to her balcony.

Her apartment was as plain and basic as Videl's but her carpeting was grey and she had more stuff lying around everywhere. She had a desk along one of the walls of her room with case files, office materials and scrap paper lying everywhere. That particular side of the room was messy but the rest of her room could be classified as her clean area. A record player sat on the left bed side table while a lamp was seated on the right bedside drawers.

Passing by the pot containing her small, growing palm she had gotten back in Monaco, the hot inspector unlocked her balcony doors and swung them open, looking out onto the balcony out and looking from left to right, trying to locate the source of noise. After looking around a few times, she shrugged when she saw or sensed nothing closing her balcony doors again and locking it.

"_Must have been a pigeon or something",_ she thought. It was only a voice calling out from the darkness behind her did she realize what made the noise. The warm, handsome voice gave her a warm sensation that spread throughout her body.

"Sorry for my rude entry, but I had to see if you were doing alright", said Sly from out of the blue. Smiling, Carmelita turned around to see the ring tailed raccoon lying down on her bed, one leg crossed over the other and his right arm resting underneath his head while he twirled his cane around in his left hand, his fingers being nimble able to balance the cane easily.

Sly glanced over at her and flashed his ever so charming grin, his white teeth glinting with a mischievous spark. That handsome glance made Carmelita blush a bright red and she turned around, hands interlocked behind her. She had hoped one day Sly would be able to provide her with some 'company'.

"Hi ringtail", she replied softly. Sly's grinned turned into a loving smile and he nodded in return, sitting up and spinning on the bed so that he was sitting on the edge of the bed, his body faced in her direction.

"Hi gorgeous, just showered", he asked. Carmelita nodded while rubbing the back of her left arm wit her right up and down shyly.

"Yeah, you can say that", she replied. Sly nodded, his eyes looking Carmelita up and down. He shivered at the sight of her as the robe she wore hugged at her luscious curves and Goddess like body. She was absolutely beautiful, but that wasn't the only reason he fell in love with her in the first place.

"So Carmelita, Friday night, you just had a shower and you're going to bed so early. Usually you would be listening to some music", said Sly, gesturing towards the record player sitting by her bed on her bedside table. Carmelita shrugged and walked over to Sly, her motion set on a seductive walk almost as it definitely caught Sly's eye, much to her liking.

"Well, maybe… but today I'm feeling a little tired to be listening to anything right now", she replied; take a seat beside the handsome Raccoon on his right. She then smirked mischievously and started to rub Sly's leg with her own. "Unless you can convince me otherwise", she replied with lust evident in her voice. Sly grinned and looked up at the sexy vixen.

"Perhaps, unless you can persuade me to do so", he replied seductively. Carmelita grinned and leaned in closer to him while reaching towards the lamp on the bedside drawers next to her. Sly stared deeply into her eyes as she drew closer, seeing clearly her wants and needs. He knew it the instant he saw his reflection in her eyes.

"I think persuading you is convincing enough for me to stay up late", she said, gripping the lamp switch cable hanging just below the lamp shade. She licked her lips in anticipation. "And perhaps even more…"

She pulled on the cable, and the lights immediately went out…

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED… 


	13. A HEIST led ASTRAY

DRAGONBALL Z **meets _Sly Cooper_**

A HEIST LED ASTRAY

"_Sly Cooper, the thief… hmm… it has a nice ring to it and I must say, not a bad thief name at all",_ Sly thought to himself as he abseiled down a support rope hanging down from the ceiling by the crystallized window, making one obstacle of the National History museum Sly had surpassed. As for the security of the museum, he suspected he would manage.

Releasing his grip on the rope, Sly dropped the rest of the way down and landed on the marble like floor, his footsteps silent as a usual footstep would create a tapping noise that would echo through a hallways such as this. Both his thieving abilities and soft shoes allowed him to sneak around silently, unheard.

Standing up, Sly looked around the entire museum interior he had just walked into and, he must say he was impressed.

At the moment, Sly, Gohan, Bentley and Murray were on a mission or heist in the National History Museum in Cairo, Egypt. The gang were here for a good reason to as it turns out Sly had an old score to settle with something he had defeated two years ago to today. It turns out that the Clockwerk parts, the remainders of what was perhaps the greatest villain Sly and the gang had ever came across was displayed in the museum, attracting the attention of numerous tourists and, in Sly's eyes, some unwanted fugitives from justice.

Clockwerk, even in death still remains a threat to the world even if his parts were scattered but still intact. The body parts of a giant owl filled with hatred towards Sly Cooper and his Cooper Clan from watching the Raccoonus family gain their reputation as the greatest thieves in the world. Hundreds of years ago after witnessing the Cooper clan gain their reputation quickly, through a horrible twist and decision spurred on by a desire for both revenge and of jealousy, Clockwerk replaced his mortal body with soulless machinery in a hopes for immortality. And it did the trick too, he lived on.

After catching up with Sly Cooper and his parents, he murdered the child thief's mother and father, leaving the kid Cooper for dead. Ten years later, Sly confronted Clockwerk again and, with the help of Gohan's strengths, the pair defeated the maniacal monster, ending his rain then and there. But how foolish did Sly think that he could annihilate that kind of hatred. Clockwerk is back, in pieces sure, but the threat is real. After the pieces appeared in the public's eye as popularity figure heads, Sly knew that that meant trouble and with Bentley and the others, began plotting a heist to retrieve the parts and destroy them in one feral swoop.

Sly frowned at his thoughts of the Clockwerk parts being on display and sighed, shaking his head. _"I don't know what's in my future"_, he thought, looking up. A strange shadow cast over his eyes as he glared up, the images of that nightmarish vision of Clockwerk appearing in his head, taunting him, and testing him. _"But I will not let it be a repeat of my past…"_

"**_Alpha, Charlie, Delta, Foxtrot… do you read me Sitting Duck, this is the Wizard",_** came in Bentley's voice through Sly's ear piece. Sly snapped out of his thoughts and chuckled in amusement, pressing the ear piece in his ear and enhancing Bentley's voice so that he could hear him clearer.

"This is Foxtrot, I hear you loud and clear Blizzard", said Sly, making fun of Bentley's seriousness of the situation. Bentley sighed in irritation.

"**_No Sly, listen. You are 'Sitting duck' and I am 'The Wizard'"_** replied Bentley slowly, making sure Sly got it. Sly smiled while looking around the museum front entrance interior.

"I read you loud and clear Lizard", said Sly, chuckling under his breath. Bentley stammered over his head, making sure his voice was down to a whisper so no one could hear him and that he could keep himself from blowing up in frustration.

"**_No Sly, I'm… oh, you're not taking this seriously"_** stated Bentley crossly. Sly sighed and shook his head, turning around so that he was facing the darker areas of the museum entrance then the windows. Through the windows he could see the sun was setting and that the pyramids were outlined perfectly in the windows.

"Listen Bentley, I know that this is your first time out in the field but you've got to loosen up. Shake it off will you. So, in normal talk, what is your position", asked Sly. Bentley sighed and nodded.

"**_Well Sly, I have established myself in the basement. If I am to get to the top floor, I'm going to need you to reroute some power to the elevator, I'll do the rest",_** said Bentley. Sly frowned his brow and looked up and around the museum entrance he had walked into.

Lying around the entire room where a few examples of historic technology and ancient equipment found over the years. Hanging above him was giant skeletal remains of a giant ocean dinosaur, technically a Lyploradon. The skeleton was at an even level suspended at the exact level as the second floor above ground level. The second floor has taken itself in the form of a walkway circulating the entire front entrance Sly was in with paintings lining the walls with a railing to prevent anyone from falling to the floor below.

Scattering the entire interior of the room Sly was in, the thief could spot a lot of other valuables such as statues, pots, ancient artifacts and jewelry incased in cases. Also, to add to the decorations besides the structure of the entire room and how it was built, there were also pots with plants growing in them. There were a couple of exotic and rare plants growing in these pots on for display but most of them were palm trees, and if Sly's knowledge on palm trees were correct, then he could gain a good footing on top of each plant.

After examining the walkway in front of him, Sly smiled when he found the elevator with a small power box beside it. A lever on the control panel told Sly that that was how he would be able to reroute power back to the elevator and allow Bentley to make his way up to his position.

"You can count on me Bentley just hang tight. I'll find a way up to the walkway and turn on the power for you", said Sly.

Postponing his ear piece for the moment, Sly looked over the entire room once more and discovered to his curiosity a leather covered drum stationed in the centre of the room he was in with steps leading left and right to the higher platform above it. Thinking, Sly examined the dinosaur skeleton above along with its length and support units. Seeing that it would support his weight, Sly ran over to the drum and after double jumping through the air, landed on the leather base and, using its spring like systems, used it to send him soaring into the air above.

After a couple of flips, Sly land on the large skull of the dinosaur bones and crouched low, staying as still as possible, feeling the dinosaur shake with instability. Feeling it stop, Sly smiled and ran over the spine and ribs of the dinosaur towards the tail and, after quickly running across the spine system using his rail walk technique, he leapt off of the skeleton and landed on the walkway circulating the room.

Looking over the painting and bronze painted walls added with a touch of gold, Sly made his way over to the rusty elevator doors and as he was told to do by Bentley rerouted the power to the elevator by harmlessly pulling on the elevator switch, the control panel coming to life with all the buttons turning on. The LED's inside the switches lit up in the colors they were built with.

Almost instantly after switching the switch on the control panel, Sly heard his ear piece come to life and Bentley's voice appear. **_"Just a second… (zap) OUCH! Hold it… there…"_** after Bentley's insistent jabbering, the lift came to life and a few seconds later, Bentley appeared as the lift's box came up from underground. It shuddered for a moment before it fully stopped at the second floor and the gate doors of the elevator opened revealing Bentley, the turtle with the brains.

Sly grinned and gave Bentley the thumbs up, one which Bentley returned before exiting the elevator and tip-toeing over to the gate diving this room from the rest of the rooms. Since the gate was only a few meters down the isle, Sly and Bentley only had to walk just a few seconds till they reached it.

"OK", said Bentley, "Let me at that security computer!" Immediately after reaching the security gate, Bentley began typing away at the computer beside the gate using the keyboard displayed on the small desk board welded into the front of the computer. Sly stood by Bentley as he typed away, carefully watching the gate in front of him.

Beyond the steel bars of the gate blocking Sly' path, Sly could see meters of security systems ranging from security beams, spot lights, fire walls and alarm horns. For a museum built back in the 1800's, it sure was high tech now. Sly guessed that the museum supported this new network of security for protection and to alert the guards of any intruders breaking in to steal the new addition to the museum, aka, the Clockwerk parts.

After a few seconds of standing around, Sly heard Bentley speak. "There goes the firewalls", said Bentley, his fingers still tapping away at the keys. Sly saw before his very eyes beyond the security gates the red walls of energy fade away. Sly was relieved since it was these new fire wall security systems that were usually the hardest to get by without the use of his ancestor's invisibility technique.

Bentley continued typing away, and after a few more seconds, the fire security beams vanished. Bentley smiled in success but continued typing away. "That ends the security beams, now for the spotlights…" A few more taps on the computer key board and the yellow spot lights vanished, the lamps with the machine guns attached to them closing up and disappearing into the ceiling above, shutting down another obstacle to surpass.

Sly was impressed at Bentley's computing skills and he had a feeling that the turtle was getting better every day, what with all the complicated books on computers he was reading, not to mention all the upgrades Murray had been making to the van using Bentleys new computing systems and technology. Though he may not have been as smart as Bentley, Sly knew that the study sessions Bentley gave him, Murray and Gohan were a big help as they all knew that they would be encountering more of these high tech defenses in the future.

Sly's thoughts were cancelled out as Bentley announced the final shut down of the remaining security systems. "And there goes the security gate!" exclaimed Bentley but quietly so to not alert any near by guards of their presence. And, right before their very eyes, the heavy steel bar security gate lifted off the ground, exposing a new path Sly shall be following soon.

Bentley nodded and turned to Sly. "Presto, all clear!" Sly placed his hands on his hips and nodded in appreciation to Bentley's work. He didn't know where he'd be without Bentley since the turtle's fast computing skills assured Sly a safer, easier passage through many security packed buildings. Though Bentley wasn't known for his physical dexterity, his brains did make up for his lack of suitable brawn.

"Thanks pal. For you first time out, you're doing well", said Sly. Bentley's expression did not change from seriousness though as Bentley turned back to the computer screen and key board, making sure that the security systems were staying off line.

"Oh this mission is far from complete. Now that the security systems are down, Murray and Gohan should be getting into position and linking up with you at their rendezvous. Gohan should be making his way up to our level now", said Bentley. Sly nodded in understandment but stayed where he was, concerned about his friend's safety and independence.

"Cool. I'll trek on ahead, will you be alright here pal", asked Sly. Bentley nodded but didn't turn to Sly as he was still busy at the computer.

"Oh sure, I'll stay behind and provide computer support. Good luck in retrieving the Clockwerk parts Sly, I'll brief you on your present course", said Bentley. Sly gave a final nod and sprinted on past the open security gates and through the painting decorated hallway.

Passing the corridor, Sly entered the main hallway of the museum. This part was simply decorated with many displays such as Egyptian art, Greek art, Roman and French… basically almost all cultural historic artifacts were on display here from around the world. The roof extended about two more stories above the second floor with windows showing a beautiful extended version of the sky line. The walls and ceiling were painted a dusty brown and the pillars against the walls supporting the ceiling were made of marble red with gold bases. Also, along this main hall were gate way's leading down into different sections of the museum as well as into other corridor's leading outside onto balconies.

Sly's destination was towards the balcony, but it was here where he planned to rendezvous with Gohan. The only question was where was Gohan?

Walking down the main hall, Bentley's vice suddenly appeared in his ear piece. **_"Hey Sly, do you think Gohan got lost along the way?"_** asked Bentley. Sly smiled, suddenly feeling the ground at his feet shake.

"Believe me Bentley when it comes to subtle, Gohan goes far beyond that", replied Sly. A second later, the wall beside Sly suddenly exploded rubble and debris flying everywhere. Sly's attention turned towards the wall and, from out of the dust rising into the air, a very calm and unchallenged Gohan stepped through the massive hall in the wall and dusted him down when the cloud of dust settled. He was still wearing his symbolic black and red gi with red mask, red leg-pack and twin swords.

After dusting himself down, Gohan looked up and placed his hands on his hips looking around the entire main hall of the museum and smiling in admiration. "Wow, not bad… could use with a little China though", said Gohan. Sly chuckled, catching Gohan's attention, forcing him to look down from his observations.

"Very subtle Gohan, but next time, try the gate", said Sly, pointing out the security gates opened in the hallway beside the young Saiyan. Gohan blinked and stepped out, looking from the hallway to the hole he had made. He repeated this couple of times then cursed at himself for being so stupid.

"Darn it, I must be losing my touch", growled Gohan through clenched teeth, even though he was being sarcastic. Sly chuckled and gestured towards the end hallway leading towards the outside of the museum.

"Come on Gohan, you can work on your technique later onwards, we've got to meet up with Murray at the rendezvous." Gohan looked up and grinned the famous Son grin and rubbed the back of his head.

"OH, OK then, let's go", said Gohan. Immediately, both thieves turned on their heals and sprinted down the hall, turning right and down a smaller, darker hallway before coming across another closed security gate. At this, both thieves turned left and headed up the steps leading towards a balcony at the top. It was this path they had chosen as it suited their purposes perfectly.

The orange sunlight outside illuminated the ending of the dark hallway and as soon as Sly and Gohan reached the balcony, they were immediately met with the dazzling rooftops and cityscapes of Cairo. The roads were busy with vehicles rolling by and the courtyard below representing the front part of the museum where cars and limo's drove in to drop of their guests passed through before pulling out. As expected, there was a mass of guards patrolling the courtyard.

After both Sly and Gohan had spread themselves evenly out onto the balcony, at the same time avoiding the various tables and chairs marveling the wide spread, stone made balcony, Gohan pulled out his binocucom and looked towards the museum walls and building beside him. Even though to his left was the way he had come from, the exterior was far different from what he had expected it to be.

The instant his binocucom came to life, Bentley's head appeared in the bottom screen. Though it was instantaneous, it did not surprise Gohan one bit. **_"According to my research, the Clockwerk parts are held in the top part of the building up in that balcony over there"_** said Bentley, a blue arrow and circular symbol appearing on Gohan's visor at the point Bentley was looking at. Gohan had to admit Bentley's tinkering with inventions sure came in handy as the upgrades the turtle had made to the binocucom's were astounding.

On the other side of the museum in the tallest part of the building to Sly and Gohan's left about 20 windows away, there was a large balcony 4 floors above ground level that bore a similar resemblance to the balcony Sly and Gohan were on however, the entrance was blocked by yet another security gate. Gohan smirked at the challenge as he would be able to remove that with a flick of a finger.

Bentley pushed the glasses up his nose just a bit higher so he was able to see. **_"It seems like an easy task however, the easier way there is through the courtyard but is unfortunately blocked as it is loaded with guards!"_** said Bentley. Gohan nodded with a smile.

"I know that flying at this time is out of the question. But me and Sly don't need to take that route", said Gohan. He moved his binocucom to his right and at the stone railing bordering the balcony. Leading towards the high buildings surrounding the museum was a long clothes line cable thick enough that it was capable of supporting both him and Sly at the same time. Gohan smiled as he tracked the cable and found that it led all the way through the buildings around and towards the other end of the museum. "We'll just take the long way around!"

Bentley nodded, figuring that it was possible for an indirect approach. **_"If memory serves me, you have to use Tennessee Kid Cooper's rail walk technique, which is extremely dangerous if you ask me"_**, said Bentley. Gohan chuckled and turned to Sly.

"Believe me Bentley, this should be cake", said Gohan. Putting his binocucom away, Gohan turned to Sly and nodded, seeing Sly staring back at him as he had listened to the conversation going on between him and Bentley. "Ready to head to the rendezvous", asked Gohan.

Sly grinned and nodded. "Any time…"

Turning towards the cable, Sly and Gohan ran over, bypassing the railings on the balcony and started sprinting across the cable. Though the cable shook, both Sly and Gohan managed to keep their balance and used their skills as thieves to blend in with their backgrounds, keeping them out of sight as they used the subtle approach. Immediately reaching the buildings surrounding the museum, both Sly and Gohan continued weaving up and down through the narrow spaces of the tall buildings shadowing them left and right. In their path they disturbed several pigeons resting on the cable, causing the birds to fly away,. The hoped that this uncommon phenomenon did not alert any unwanted attention as it was sure to give away their position. Pigeons flying away so suddenly in a mass and hooting in surprise certainly weren't required in a heist.

After weaving over the cable and passing the narrow path above the various alleyways, Gohan and Sly made it to the baloney of a hotel where the cable ended. There was another cable leading from another balcony on the other side of the building leading the rest of the way to the balcony that was their objective point. They were hoping Murray was here but unfortunately he wasn't.

Bentley's voice suddenly came on the air once Gohan and Sly had spread out along the balcony. **_"Murray must have gotten lost along the way to the rendezvous, try and press on without him",_** suggested Bentley. Pressing on wasn't required for the two thieves as suddenly, in the room safe guarded by a security gate before Gohan and Sly suddenly became shadowed and a second later, Murray came bursting through the ceiling above, glass and debris falling and the pink hippo crashing to the floor instantaneously, leaping to his feet a second later.

Gohan and Sly were quite surprised but smiled in amusement to Murray's grand entrance. For many months they had noticed Murray perfecting his own thieving techniques and working out. He was sort of like a super hero figure head to the gang as his strength added to the team's excellent performance. Murray was however, the only one who knew how to drive a stick shift.

After leaping back to his feet from landing on his solid belly, Murray struck a pose, placing his fists on his hips and turning to Sly and Gohan standing on the balcony, buffing his chest out.

"Greetings citizens! I hope you weren't harmed by my meteoropic entrance", exclaimed Murray in a super hero tone of voice. The confidence and maturity in his voice was a huge change compared to his personality years back. But Gohan and Sly had gotten used to it and always appreciated the hippo in all shapes, forms and voice.

Sly chuckled and waved his hand toward Murray. "No Murray we kept at a safe distance", said the raccoon. Gohan agreed to this and crossed his arms, admiring Murray's courage and heroic appearance. Murray nodded, striking another pose.

"Good! The 'thunder flop' knows neither friend nor foe", said Murray. Gohan grinned and pointed towards the steel gates blocking the entrance towards the next balcony behind Murray. Murray's entrance did clear a clean path in the hotel room they had just barged into but cared very little about who the owner was. Murray did manage to flatten a table, a couple of couches, chairs and a bit of pottery, making a clearly spaced out room. However there was a bit of debris still lying about.

"Sure umm, say Murray do you think you could channel some of that raw strength into the security gate and show us what you're made of", asked Gohan. Murray nodded affirmatively.

"Of course, 'The Murray' shall remove this obstacle from you path", said the goggle wearing hero. Instantly, Murray turned around and stomped over towards the gate. Cracking his fingers, Murray bent down and, groaning and growling in effort, slowly pulled the security gate up. The gate creaked as it opened and soon enough, it had cleared enough space for both Gohan and Sly to pass through. When it was open, Murray sighed as he held the gate above his head. "There, all clear…"

Taking their chance both Sly and Gohan ran across the room and slipped through the space Murray had created, stepping out onto the balcony. The instant they had spaced out onto the balcony, Murray stepped under the gate he had lifted and dropped it, turning towards the museum displayed before the group. Seeing their objective blocked off by yet another gate, Murray punched his right palm with his fist and struck another heroic pose.

"Another barrier stands before you! Fear not, I shall bend it like the truth!" exclaimed Murray. Gohan and Sly looked up at Murray oddly then looked at each other. Shrugging, they stepped back and watched to see what amazing stunt Murray would perform this time.

Raising his left foot above the ground, Murray stomped down hard, shaking the balcony and causing a near by statue to float into the air just high enough for Murray to grab it as it floated above his head. It was an amazing show of strength yes, but it was his throw that Murray should be admired for. Pulling back the object in his hands held above his head back, Murray suddenly chucked it forward and straight at the security gate. On impact with the gate, the bars bent and broke off, the statue shattering into tiny pieces. Gohan was amazed none to say the least but he suspected all along for Murray's incredible abilities. He was showing the strength of what he had when he was only four years old and it was still an amazing feat.

Murray looked proud with himself and turned towards both Sly and Gohan. "There, all clear", said the hippo. Gohan smiled and gave him the thumbs up.

"Solid work Murray, you're doing really well for your first official time out on the field", complimented Gohan. Sly nodded to show how impressed he was and crossed his arms over his chest, making sure his cane didn't poke anyone around him.

"Yeah, you're really in the zone Murray. You should do this more often, what with your techniques and all", said Sly. Murray nodded.

"Thanks my enthusiastic friends!" exclaimed Murray turning towards the balcony he had just cleared. "However I regret to say that my hulking frame is too much for that puny wire! You two go on ahead, I'll be waiting to help carry out the Clockwerk parts!"

Gohan nodded. "Sure thing Murray, keep in touch, and thanks!" Murray gave them the thumbs up.

"Anytime partner!"

Leaping into the air, Sly and Gohan balanced themselves upon the flag cable and sprinted across its narrow path, making their way up to the balcony and towards the shattered entrance where they planned to press on from there and accomplish their mission. Once they had made it to the partially damaged balcony, both Sly and Gohan leapt through the window in perfect formation.

It was here where they found themselves on another walkway, similar to the one Sly and Bentley were on in the entrance room of the museum however this one was overlooking the Clockwerk parts expedition. Once they were through the window, both thieves leapt down from the walkway, bypassing the railings and landing on the solid, black and white tiled and checkered floor. In the background behind the platforms where the Clockwerk parts should be, there were three gold encrusted Pharaoh sarcophaguses they suspected to be used for decoration and perhaps for something else.

Their observations of the room blinded their true objectives as they failed to notice the one, important part of the room they had missed. Sure there was the expedition and all, but the Clockwerk parts were missing. When Bentley saw this through the security cam projecting the images of the room to the computer he was at, he was baffled.

"**_I don't get it! The Clockwerk parts should be here! That's it, we're calling the whole thing off, get back to the van you two"_**, said Bentley hurriedly with panic evident in his voice. Gohan and Sly were also startled that the Clockwerk parts weren't here. They weren't left to wallow in their bewilderment for long as they were interrupted by the three sarcophaguses on the other end of the room bursting open, expelling its true contents in the form of three cops, two of which were very familiar to Gohan and Sly.

Brandishing their two famous pistols and emerging from out of the blue, Inspector Carmelita Montoya Fox and Inspector Videl Bideru Satan accompanied by a third party member sighted their targets immediately. This surprised Gohan and Sly, but not very much.

The two women hadn't changed much in the past years except for Videl as she had her hair cut so that it was short enough for her work. She still wore her symbolic white T-shirt, black bicycle shorts and fighting gloves.

The third cop however didn't appear in any of Gohan or Sly's memory chains. She was a tigress with an unusual fur color of purple. She wore a red and yellow bandana with a diamond on her forehead, as well as brown shorts, a brown vest with transparent, purple lace wing material weaving around her. Her choice of weapon was a whip as it sort of gave her a more physically challenged appearance. Her eyes were colored dark blue and she stood to about Carmelita's height but was slightly shorter.

On seeing Sly and Gohan standing in their sights, both Carmelita and Videl acted hesitantly and surprised. Their black and white views weren't blinding them anymore as they were confronted by their, umm… lover. But because they were accompanied by another cop they had to put on an act and allow their authority side up for now.

"Hold it Cooper", said Carmelita, brandishing her pistol. Videl did the same, pulling back the firing pin on hers.

"You too Gohan, hands up", ordered the raven haired girl. Gohan and Sly grinned and crossed their arms, turning their gazes towards their favorite cop women. They knew that their appearances made a huge effect on their girl, not to mention tease them to an extent. However they went easy on them for now, sparing their embarrassment.

"Well, if it isn't Inspector Fox…" said Sly.

"And Inspector Videl, as beautiful and as unpredictable as ever", said Gohan. Videl had to conceal her blush and, glancing over at her partner, saw she had difficulty hiding hers as well. It was only their duties that kept them on the line and on track.

Carmelita, shaking any off putting thoughts out of her head returned to the case. "Whereas you criminals are so predictable", said Carmelita, making it sound convincing to the tigress cop standing beside her who was watching the situation carefully.

Videl pulled her pistol back and hung it by her side as she spoke. They had the situation under control and have obviously caught Gohan and Sly cornered. "Why is it that they always return to the scene of the crime", asked Videl to no one in particular. Gohan raised an eyebrow.

"Crime? We didn't steal anything", said Gohan, turning towards Sly in confusion.

Sly grinned, completing Gohan's sentence. "Yet that is…"

Carmelita aimed her pistol in between the two, ready to take down either of them if they tried to make a break for it. "Don't confuse the issue, you were the one's who broke in last night and stole the Clockwerk parts." Maybe she was taking it a little too far and Videl found it to be quite uncalled for. Sly and Gohan looked surprised.

"Someone has already stolen the Clockwerk parts", exclaimed a baffled Sly.

Videl looked over at Gohan, seeing the same look of surprise on his face. By reading expressions she knew that Gohan couldn't have taken the parts as his gang couldn't have broken in and weren't stupid enough to return to the crime. However, after previous encounters she knew that they weren't stupid but were perhaps the greatest band of thieves in the entire world perhaps. Besides, being bonded to Gohan she knew that he was telling the truth and what not.

Carmelita held up her firm expression. "Don't play dumb with me Cooper", said Carmelita, at which she glanced over at the constable standing beside her to see whether she was convincing enough. By the cop's expression, it appeared she was doing a good job at acting too. "Who else has the motive but you and your gang", she added.

The cop standing in between both Carmelita and Videl sighed and began speaking up for the two thieves. Surprisingly, she suggested better among the two as she wasn't among the cops who were so obsessed in the Sly Cooper case. "It may not have been him Carmelita", said the cop. "The method of entry and guard casualties clearly point out that this was the work of the Klaww gang", said the constable. Sly and Gohan blinked and looked at each other.

"The Klaww gang", said Gohan and Sly. Gohan raised an eyebrow and looked towards Videl who was looking at the constable standing between her and Carmelita. For Gohan, he wanted some questions answered.

_((Videl… what is this Klaww gang thing… who are they))_ asked Gohan. Hearing Gohan communicate with him, Videl turned to Gohan while Carmelita talked with the constable.

_((Oh…umm, Constable Neyla mentioned it because they are the second closest gang involved in this break in. They are a gang similar to the fiendish five however they are more of a criminal organization, not your mere average gang))_ replied Videl. Gohan nodded.

_((Interesting... I'll be sure to look into it, for now… love yah))_ said Gohan, giving a wave. After this, both he and Sly vanished, sprinting across the room and taking to the stairs. Videl was surprised and followed them with her eyes. She hadn't expected such a brief encounter but still, she was excited at the prospect of another chase, unless Carmelita came back into reality as soon as she was finished talking with Neyla. Making sure they didn't alert the presence of Carmelita and Neyla, both Gohan and Sly made their escape. This did not go unnoticed however.

"… I'm just saying that there are other criminals in the world then just…" Neyla was saying to Carmelita, distracting her further. However, as soon as Neyla brought up this topic, Carmelita noticed Gohan and Sly's absence and looked around the room. She then spotted them making their way up the stairs and out of the Clockwerk expedition section of the museum.

"SLY COOPER!" she said, startled. _"Figures, always finding a way out"_ she thought with a smile. "After them!"

Leaping up onto the walkway, Carmelita gave chase for the two, Videl and Constable Neyla following shortly afterwards. Leaping up the stairs, they gave chase to the pair of thieves over the second floor walkway and down into the main halls.

Sly and Gohan emerged out of the Clockwerk expedition, finding themselves on the walkway above the main hall of the museum where it too was highly decorated. Having thought they had already lost Carmelita and Videl, the pair looked back to make sure, only to see the three cops after them.

With a snap, the pair made a decision and sprinted down the walkway of the main hall, the three cops in hot pursuit. There were two walkways, one on each side of the room with the ground floor beneath them and as it goes, they planned on using all elements and structures to their advantage. However, they were to find that the three cop women after them could also use the same surroundings to their advantage. Something Sly and Gohan had learned to predict over the years of being chased by them and each time they were chased, they found that both Carmelita and Videl had been getting stronger and faster along the way.

Upon giving chase to the two thieves, Carmelita broke off from straight sprint and leapt onto the second walkway running beside this one across the room and landed upon its carpeted surface without even tripping as her balance served her well. Aiming the sights of her pistol on the retreating Sly, she began blasting away, high powered blasts of electrical energy shooting in all places surrounding her target. All the blasts focused on its target however because of the pursuit, neither shot was directly on target.

Sly smirked and looked back too see the three women still in pursuit with the occasional shots of electrical energy shooting past him and Gohan. He had noticed that Carmelita made some modifications and improvements to her pistol as these shots were far faster then what they were years before and didn't have much recoil as the previous model. These shots were of course, as destructive and as fast as the original, not to mention the pistol bore a slightly small difference to the larger bazooka Carmelita once wielded.

Videl, who was running behind Neyla took charge and sprinted passed her, pulling out her pistol and aiming it at the thieves' backs, letting off a few rounds. All red blaster shots flew straight at Gohan who sensed them coming from behind and, grabbing Sly's wrist, leapt from the walkway and down towards ground floor. Sly was startled none to say the least but when he saw the red blaster bolts shoot past him barely, he was grateful for Gohan's quick reflexes. Once both thieves made ground contact again, they both restarted their sprint, continuing to make their getaway from their pursuers.

Gohan glanced behind him and twitched his eyebrow, a very Vegeta like smirk crossing his lips as he noticed Videl's improvement to her pistol. It was no longer the same Lugar model she was famous for but a high charged revolver model. This one not only fire projectiles but it also fired other weapons, darts, arrows, tracers, etc. Since it was a 12 shot pistol Gohan considered himself lucky, but that only meant Videl was relying more on her own strength which was a good thing.

Avoiding the various tables and platforms in their way, Sly and Gohan continued sprinting down the hall only to be reunited with Murray who burst through one of the corridors lining the main hall way. The pink hippo skidded when he saw Gohan and Sly sprint passed and followed a split second later when he saw the bolts of electrical shots from Carmelita zip past from the walkway above.

"Hey Sly! Gohan! Wait up!" called the super hero as he sprinted after them, puffing slightly from his previous run from the museum guards. Sly and Gohan glanced behind them to see their friend running after them and grinned.

"Shake a leg Murray, we've got to split", called Sly, Murray running up so that he was a few feet behind them. Gohan looked around the hallway they were running in, ignoring the statues and various cases exploding into millions of shards from Carmelita's missed shots and raised an eyebrow. Turning back to Murray the young Saiyan shrugged.

"Where in the world is Bentley", asked Gohan. Sly and Murray looked at each other and shrugged before seeing the door ahead of them burst open and a familiar, armored turtle sprint out, cross bow in hand along with his ammunition belt. Shortly after Bentley's appearance, shots came from the door and Sly, Murray and Gohan knew exactly what that meant, Bentley ran into the museum guards along the way.

Picking up the pace, Murray, Gohan and Sly bypassed the door Bentley had came through the three of them rejoined with their friend and together, continued their getaway. Bentley, who was having a lot of trouble speaking because of his puffing, turned to his friends with a distressed look on his face.

"This is bad, this is bad! This is not what we had planned!" cried Bentley. Sly furrowed his brow and turned to stare ahead of him to see a few statues standing in their way. Gohan smirked and, reaching over to his back, drew hi left sword in his left hand, pulling it out and exposing the blade.

"I'll handle that", said Gohan. Instantly, as soon as they reached it, Gohan smashed the statues blocking their path into pieces and leapt over their remains, Murray, Bentley and Sly following. As soon as the statue was reduced to debris, Gohan shoved his sword back onto his back and continued sprinting full pace, avoiding the various red projectile shots fired by Videl from the walkway above a few yards back. It was quite a big museum he had to admit.

Sly had to duck when he sensed another shot flying toward him and glanced behind him to see Carmelita, Videl, Neyla and a horde of other cops in hot pursuit, all of them determined to catch the group of thieves. Sly sharpened his glare in disappointment. He didn't come this far to be caught and was not going to let his gang down now.

"This is getting hot. Murray, Bentley, split up and get to the team van! Pick us up at the rendezvous", said Sly. Murray and Bentley nodded affirmatively and, making a sharp right turn, burst through the door and broke off from their troop, taking another hallway and heading back to their van.

After a few more steps, Gohan and Sly leapt through the air, bursting through the giant window blocking their way and landed on the balcony. Once the glass had fallen around them, the two leapt onto the flag cable hanging off of the balcony and connected to the building across the street. After balancing themselves on the cable, the sound of sirens reached their ears, forcing them to stop.

Glancing down at the streets beneath them, they saw an army force of about 15 police cars and armored vehicles arrive on the scene, all of them stopping with Interpol officers and SWAT forces exiting the vehicles, drawing weapons and aiming them at the two thieves above on the flag cable.

Gohan and Sly blinked in surprise but smiled in relief when they saw the team van speed straight past the blockade, forcing the cops back into their vehicles and give chase to the armored van as it drove off and turned sharply at the crossroads at the end of the street. Knowing that Bentley and Murray were on their way to the rendezvous, Gohan and Sly sprinted on, across the cable and for toward the place where Bentley and Murray would collect them.

After reaching the roof top of the building the cable was attached to, Sly and Gohan glanced over their shoulders to see the glass of the window of the balcony beside the balcony they had just exited out of burst open with glass shards flying everywhere. Carmelita and Videl emerged from the window and onto the railings, shaking their fists in the air.

"I'll find you Gohan/Cooper", they both said in unison upon seeing the two thieves standing on the building across the street. Smiling, both thieves saluted to their favorite cop woman before disappearing, sprinting the rest of the way over the rooftop and leaping over the side.

Sighing, Videl and Carmelita leaned against the railings and smiled onto the horizon. Another thrilling chase after another and they never got tired of it. Through those brief moments of engagement, it always added adventure in their miserable lives as policewomen for Interpol.

Too caught up in their daydreaming to notice anything, they failed to notice Constable Neyla scowling at them from the window they had just exited. The Interpol police tigress watched her two superiors suspiciously as their usual moods were far… different from what she had seen over the few weeks she had been working with them for.

She was going to look into this Cooper case a little more if she was going to find out why they were so obsessed with their targets.

Gohan and Sly!

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED… 


	14. The BLACK Chateau

DRAGONBALL Z **meets _Sly Cooper_**

The BLACK Chateau

_**Gohan's thoughts…**_

"After our little chase through the museum, the gang and I were finally out of there and back on the road all in one piece. Carmelita and Videl (laughs)… I'm guessing are a little disappointed but inside, I know they weren't. That makes it: Cooper gang: 86, Interpol: 0. I'm not counting short talks or erotic and sometimes unexpected rendezvous. But I have more important things to think about."

"That Constable Neyla… was her reference of the Klaww gang just a slip of the tongue, or an intentional clue? Whatever the case, it was our only lead on finding the missing Clockwerk parts. I knew that the same thoughts I was having were lingering through everyone else's minds and I instantly knew that we were about to be pushed into another conflict involving our arch enemy."

"Clockwerk...! It's hard to believe that even in pieces that maniacal gear head is still causing mayhem for us. For all we know, whoever these Klaww gang members are, they are messing around with something that should have been wiped out years ago. All what remains of Clockwerk is like a puzzle needing to be finished and when it is, whoever is able to reassemble that monster will be like reopening Pandora's box. This was not good and it sent a chill down my spine."

"Without the proper information, man and computer power, evidence and storage capacities, Bentley was unable to get locked onto our first member of the Klaww gang responsible for the disappearance of the Clockwerk parts and that meant we had to return home for the proper equipment needed for our search. So we did."

"On our return to Paris, France my friends and I immediately chased up every lead we could on the missing Clockwerk parts. I had to run through a few favors but we managed to find the first parts we were looking for. They belonged to the Klaww gang's local operative, the 'popular' lounge lizard Dimitri, the forger and distributor of the Klaww gang. This colorful artist blended in both the formal party where royalty and wealth was mostly appreciated while he also participated in the ring of criminal organizations of back ally city crimes."

"Dimitri was once a passionate art student who spent years developing his own art style, using techniques that were quite, unusual to the eyes of his spectators and admirers. However the art community wasn't quite ready for his proclaimed, kinetic aesthetic. So he gave them what they wanted and started forging old master pieces, his way of punishing those with bad taste."

"Dimitri now owns a nightclub somewhere on the dark edges of Paris on the West side, where at night the air is fresh and a hint of danger lurks just around every corner luring young patrons far and wide."

"Word has it that Dimitri was in possession of the Clockwerk tail feathers. For what purpose Dimitri has planned with those steel appendages are beyond me, but those plans of his end… tonight!"

* * *

It was dark out in the back ally streets of Paris on the Northern side of the River Seine. The steel structure of the Eiffel tower illuminated itself against the starry sky on the other side of the wide river lit by the lights running up and down its metal frame. But, like all of the other tourist attractions that stuck out from the cityscapes surrounding it, it was just a landmark on the map for one particular group of people.

The leading front to the Klaww gang's organization run by Dimitri was perhaps the most obvious structure all around. A four story high nightclub with a backdoor penthouse lit up by a dazzling display of bright lights was easy to spot even at night time from a thousand feet up. Even Gohan had to admit that the Klaww gang had definitely thrown a lot into their business works.

Across the vast rooftops surrounding the large nightclub out of reach of the spotlight guards, a shadowy figure made his third round around the premises. His shadow blended in with the night time sky above as well as kept to the shadows of every dark corner he ran past and into. All the while, as he leapt and sprinted across the rooftops, he kept well out of reach of the many guards prowling the city streets and perhaps some of the buildings associated with Dimitri's nightclub. After recent ordeals involving spotlight guards, Gohan was well aware of how to handle them.

Landing on top of the restaurant he was aiming for, which was one of the four buildings circulating the roundabout just outside of Dimitri's nightclub, Gohan crouched low on the roof just behind the chimney and scanned the frontier of the nightclub. Because of the brick work made chimney he was hiding behind and peering out from the side, his entire form was completely shadowed and camouflaged into the background so that not even the lights of the nightclub could capture him.

From observations of the nightclub, Gohan found that infiltration would be quite difficult. The roundabout in front of the nightclub had a 'S' shaped fountain built in the centre of it with the exception of a road circulating around it so that vehicles could pass through and let their passengers out close to their destination. Other roads linked up with the roundabout at five different points and with the spot light guards prowling the nightclub grounds, it meant that trouble could pop out from either of these roads at any time during the heist. To add to it, the nightclub's height, walls and build meant that this mission would be a little trickier then Gohan and the gang had thought.

Looking around a bit more Gohan saw that there was more then just the spotlight guards but what looked to be a personal division of troops owned by Dimitri himself. Two lines of heavily armored troops, mostly humans were marching around the water fountains, all of them wielding Thompson machine guns with the barrel shaped magazine and wearing light brown uniforms. From the looks of it, the outfits they wore were rather high classed, used mostly for special occasions. They were completely dotted with medals and symbols badges representing their rank and level.

Narrowing his eyes on the soldiers and guards marching around the entire area, Gohan thought he had seen enough and after snapping a few pictures with the pocket camera he held in his leg pack, Gohan turned on his heel and sprinted across the roof of the restaurant. After reaching the far end of the building he leapt to the next building and then onto the next, beginning his trek back towards the safe house Sly and the others had set up close to the nightclub.

After reaching the safe house which took the form of an abandoned bar, Gohan leapt down from the building sitting across from the safe house and landed on the stone ramp way leading up towards the entrance on the second floor. Swiftly after landing, Gohan ran the rest of the way up to the doorway and slipped in, his efforts failed to alert the guards. That was a good thing.

The bar's design was basic. Wooden floorboards made up the floor to walk on with brick made walls with the old, white plaster covering it to tidy up the look. On the left of the immensely large room was a wooden bar with dusty shelves and a few stools. Old picture frames and other discarded pieces of furniture lay around here and there, forgotten. Since this was the second floor, there wasn't much lying around but on the third floor, that was where Bentley's kept all his super computers he had built, bought and designed using the loot he had stolen for himself on a number of their heists. The ground floor was where their garage was and where their van was parked.

Upon entering the building, Gohan walked across the room towards the circular table standing beside the window looking out onto Dimitri's nightclub. And, seated around the table was Bentley, Murray and Sly, all three of them anxiously waiting for Gohan's return. Lying across the table they were sitting around were blueprints, computer disks and a laptop provided by Bentley himself. These small pieces of information were all the dirt on Dimitri they could bring up so far.

When the young Saiyan entered their midst, Bentley, Murray and Sly looked up to see their thieving friend walk up to them and take his seat in between Sly and Bentley. Bentley nodded and, opening his laptop, held out his hand.

"Well… do you have the reconnaissance photo's", asked Bentley. Gohan smiled and nodded, pulling out the pocket camera he had and handed it to Bentley who took it and began downloading the photo's Gohan had taken into the laptop.

"That eliminates one process. However I doubt that we will be able to get into that Nightclub so easily, it's like a fortress", said Gohan. Sly smiled and crossed his arms, lifting his feet up onto the table while Murray just leaned back on his chair, watching Bentley work his magic patiently.

"Come on Gohan, we've taken on bigger foes then these guys. Remember the Fiendish five", asked the raccoon. Gohan nodded with a smirk.

"Yeah, I remember", he replied. "That was perhaps one of the toughest gangs we've ever come up against aye."

Sly nodded with a shrug. "Possibly…"

Bentley continued typing away, looking up at the screen every now and then and looking back at the keyboard to see what he was tapping away at. After a few moments of sitting in the dark with the lamp lit above being the only source of light besides the gleaming nightclub outside, Bentley finally stopped and looked up at the other three thieves, all of whom looked at Bentley expectedly.

"It looks like the reconnaissance photos Gohan has taken are a real wing ding. These are a grim reminder of what the modern day thief is up against, high tech security, stepped up patrol… all of which is making a direct assault against Dimitri's nightclub impossible without damaging the Clockwerk tail feathers", said Bentley with a disappointed expression in play. Gohan, Sly and Murray glanced at each other before looking back at Bentley. They had hoped something good may have come out of what Bentley had said.

"Then what do you suppose we do then", asked Sly. Bentley shrugged and continued typing away at his laptop, shaking his head as more disappointing images came up on screen. For all he knew this was going to be a tough nut to crack and from what he could see, Dimitri was one slippery reptile. Though he may not have been bright he certainly planned ahead.

"It's a tough nut to crack, but if I hit hard enough, I may just find the answer we need", replied Bentley. Murray gave him the thumbs up.

"Well good luck little buddy, we need you on this mission", replied the pink hippo. Bentley took that positively and furiously began searching the blueprints and reconnaissance photos for an answer. Because of his expertise at computers, his fingers moved as a blue across the entire keyboard. The beeping of the computer responding to Bentley as well as the sounds of his fingers making contact with the keys was the only sound in the entire room.

Sly, Gohan and Murray waited and waited as Bentley worked his magic. For the time it took Bentley to crack something like this they knew that this was perhaps the toughest system he had to pass. However, just as it seemed that they would be sitting for another half an hour, Bentley jabbed his fist in triumph and turned the laptop towards the others so that they can see what Bentley had brought up on screen.

"Success! I have found a way into getting past Dimitri's defense system. However I'm afraid its going to have to be done simultaneously", said Bentley. Gohan leaned forward towards the computer screen to see several of the images he had taken with the camera formulated into some sort of planned out blue print, no doubt Bentley's work. Sly and Murray could see it too but were more confused then ever.

Looking up at Bentley, Sly raised a curious eyebrow. "Umm, Bentley, mind filling us in one why we need an old cable launching truck", asked Sly. Bentley smirked and crossed his arms.

"Let's just say we'll be bringing down the house, literally", said Bentley, uncrossing his arms suddenly and leaning back over towards them. "This is going to take a lot of team work so listen up guys."

Jabbing his finger at the screen Bentley began introducing his plan to the gang, all of whom listened in intently. "OK, so the map is a bit edgy but it was all I could gather from the little intelligence we have. But, taking a little bit from here and there I was able to device a plan daring enough for even a group like us to pull off. Gohan, your job is simple. I need you to take out that division of troops outside the nightclub while I sabotage the water fountain." Murray blinked.

"Why do we need to sabotage the fountain", asked Murray. Bentley turned towards his friend and smiled.

"Simple, because if we try to breech the security then we might as well end up flooding the entire basement level where the Clockwerk tail feathers are held. So Murray, once we've taken care of the troops and the water fountain, you and Sly can do you bit." Bentley turned to Sly and gave him a serious look. "This is where you come in Sly." He then looked towards Murray. "You too Murray. While me and Gohan are working at the front entrance I need you to sneak around the West side of the building and sabotage his alarm system. A few good punches of yours can deal with that. It will take some serious muscle to deal with those security alarms."

Murray nodded and slammed his fists together. "Gotcha!" Taking that as a yes, Bentley turned to Sly, the thief twitching in discomfort. Bentley knew that that meant the raccoon was ready for some action.

"Sly, I need you to pick pocket a few guards to get the keys to the cable launcher and the truck parked by the River Seine. After that, rendezvous with Murray at the cleared front entrance of the nightclub then climb to the top of the golden arch sign overlooking the roundabout. When Murray brings around the truck and park it outside the fountain away from the nightclub, I will use the cable launcher and fire the hook up to you Sly where you will catch it and hook it onto the sing. When that's done, get out of there because Murray will use the truck's power to bring the sign down, breaking the fountain and breaching into the basement level where the Clockwerk tail feathers are hidden."

Sly, Murray and Gohan looked at each other in surprise to this well devised plan Bentley had set up. After blinking a couple of times at each other, they smiled and turned back to Bentley.

"Great plan Bentley", said Sly. Murray nodded.

"Yeah, intriguing and excellent I should say", continued the hippo. Gohan's expression however switched instantly to uncertainty and he looked down at the map of the nightclub. He may have been surprised at the plan Bentley had into breaking and entering into this nightclub but there were a few things he did not understand because Bentley is such an enigma.

"It's great Bentley, but how do you know the Clockwerk feathers are held underground, what possible use could Dimitri put the feathers to", asked the young Saiyan. Bentley smiled and tapped his laptop.

"How I know is not the question, is where I got the information from. Looking up on the nightclub's structure design and the builder's profiles who constructed this place, I discovered that a large printing press room had been built underground and after looking up on the supply schedule of the nightclub I found that tons of green ink, cotton, linen and note frames have been transported towards the nightclub. And guess what's made of linen and cotton", said Bentley. Gohan frowned and glanced over at Sly who was also looking disgruntled.

"Money", said Gohan. Sly nodded.

"Dimitri is not only a forger but a counterfeiter. How low can one sink?" asked Sly. Bentley placed his fingers together and moved them around in a detectives fashion. His face darkened as he stared at the ground in front of him who looked back at the turtle.

"This operation goes far deeper then that. Apparently Dimitri has plans of his own with those Clockwerk parts as does every other member of the Klaww gang. Who knows what Dimitri is using those Clockwerk tail feathers for?" said Bentley. Sly stood up, picking his cane up and brandishing it in a sign of determination. Gohan and Murray also stood up, joining Sly in their stand.

"Whatever the case Bentley, we need those Clockwerk parts. Separated or not they may be I will go anywhere from here to the other end of the world if I have to if I am to recollect those parts and finish of the job", said Sly. Gohan nodded in agreement.

"I'm with you on this one Sly, all the way through", continued the young Saiyan. Murray balled his fists and tightened the glove on his right hand.

"Count me in", said Murray. The three of them then looked back down at Bentley.

"Your with us aren't you Bentley?" asked Sly.

Bentley looked at all three of them skeptically, seeing how ready they were. But, seeing as that it was the perfect time to act and the night was young, the turtle stood up and pulled his crossbow up out from under the table. With a smirk, Bentley loaded it with a click, the sleeping dart he had made clicking into position.

"Let's roll…"

* * *

After exiting their safe house and walking down the ramp leading to the entrance to their hideout, the Cooper gang split up and headed for their designated points. Gohan went ahead of Bentley, clearing a path for his good friend. Murray went around the safe house the long way where he would be approaching the nightclub from a different point while Sly went to accomplish his task by first heading off to pick pocket the guards to get the keys to the truck. It would take a while, but the risks for a man of his accomplish was zero.

Sprinting down the road towards the nightclub, Gohan emerged into the roundabout sector. Most of the spotlight guards had departed on their nightly schedule however, the troops remained. But there was only one problem. The solider Dimitri hired were on a break, having scattered around the entire roundabout area and enjoying a game of cards and other social activities.

Gohan stopped dead in his tracks at the sight and looked around the entire area. He had counted at least 15 soldiers including their commanding officer and after looking around, there total number was here, with the exception of a couple of spot light guards they were speaking with. The guards were dressed differently to the guards and were less equipped. For instance, the guards were multiple species. The hired goon guards consisted of anthropomorphic rats and toads, all wearing the same mime costumes, a few of them armed with hidden explosive weapons. As for the spotlight guards, they were anthropomorphic giant bores that had to be about the same size as Muggshot, the muscle member of the Fiendish five. They wore blue tuxedoes and all of them were armed with a flash light and an oversized revolver that was more powerful then a Magnum 44. Other guards including human guards dressed in tuxedoes patrolled the restaurant areas of Dimitri's nightclub, keeping an eye open for any suspicion.

After looking around the entire area, the young Saiyan smirked and drew both his swords, crouching low into a fighting stance. This was going to be fun.

Leaping into the air at the same time using super speed, Gohan appeared above three of the soldiers currently standing in a group beside the nightclub's entrance; all of them arranged in a circle and too caught up in exchanging jokes and talking. After appearing above the three soldiers, Gohan dived down at them feet first, landing quickly in their small circle and immediately taking them all out at once, kicking the footing of two of them and, landing on both his hands, kicking the other soldier out of the way, smacking him hard in the gut and sending him soaring into a far away building. The solider cracked the wall on impact before falling flat forward, arms and legs laid spread out.

With the other two soldiers still falling back from having their feet kicked out from under them, Gohan gripped his sword handles in both his hands tightly and, after flipping back onto his own two thief, sliced into both soldiers. His blades worked like a whirlwind, cutting up both soldiers so fast that they fell to the ground in one piece without any slash marks to be seen. But when both soldiers fell and Gohan had exited the circle the three of them had formulated before, the two guards lying on the ground slowly developed scratch marks and slowly, blood began leaking out from their freshly cut wounds. Though it wasn't apparent, all three of them were still alive, Gohan using his swift moves and agility to deal with them in a less harmful way.

Hearing a loud bang then two simultaneous thuds, the soldiers and guards in the surrounding roundabout turned in Gohan's direction in surprise. Having been rudely interrupted by some foreign and distracting sounds, they were definitely off putted when they saw a young man wielding twin, golden bladed swords standing before them, his orb black eyes glaring at them through his red mask.

Silence fell among the soldiers and the entire area in a show down like atmosphere. Bentley had recently arrived at the scene was watching from the safety of a nearby building, his head peeking out from the corner. He was initially surprised none to say the least, certainly not expecting Gohan to make such an entrance. But no matter what entrance Gohan made it certainly worked.

Standing unfazed under the gazes of the criminals and mercenaries, Gohan raised his right sword and tightened his grip on his left He raised his sword and pointed the blade towards the solider and guards. With a smirk, Gohan lifted a finger off his raised sword and gestured towards him for the guards to…

"Bring it on…"

Reacting to the challenge, the guards relinquished themselves from their stupors and drew weapons. Loading their machine guns, the soldiers dropped into their attack positions and aimed their guns at their target. TO Gohan, their swift and decisive movements were played to him in slow motion and before the guards and soldiers could fire, Gohan attacked.

Pulling the triggers on their weapons, the soldiers fired on their target, only to see him vanish as their bullets struck the ground and hit no target. Before they knew it, the young man who was previously in their sights began taking them down one by one. In slow motion, Gohan appeared above two of the closest soldier's right behind them, swords held out and eyes directed towards them. Without warning, he spun around with both blades and sliced at their legs, knocking incapacitating them before slamming then handles of his sword into the back of their heads, knocking them out cold.

With both of them taken care of, Gohan zipped back into super speed and charged at the next four guards standing in a perfect line, two of them standing and two of them crouching, firing away at their target who seemed to keep popping up every now and then just to attack.

Passing the two of the four soldiers in the middle of the line up, Gohan slashed out with his swords, cutting at their legs before sharply moving upwards and ramming his knuckles into their heads, knocking them out cold and so that they fell forward. While they were falling, Gohan leapt into the air and, crunching legs and arms together and twirling in the air, he threw both legs outwards, smacking the two standing soldiers in the sides of their heads. The blow was enough to send both of them falling sideways and into the unconscious world.

Making short work of the troops so far, Gohan hit the ground again and sprinted forward at the guard and solider next closest to the group, both of them were standing by the fountain. With bullets flying through the air and straight at him, Gohan used his speed to his advantage and leaping from left to right at the same time as making his way forward. After avoiding carefully placed shots, Gohan then lunged forward and, crossing his arms over his head, rammed himself into the gut of the towering spotlight guard. The giant bore gasped in shock as the air was knocking out of him, his revolver coming loose and falling to the ground.

The solider beside the guard had little time to react and, while Gohan slowed his ram attack, he kept his arms crossed and spun through the air. After carefully placed spins, Gohan stopped and sent his foot out of the blue and straight at the soldier's still turned head, smacking him in the side and sending him plummeting sideward's.

With 11 of the 18 guards in the roundabout pit area knocked out, Gohan moved to finish the remaining off. While his foot hovered out in his kick motion at his previous target, Gohan glanced to his side to see the remaining 7 guards maneuvering their weapons so to fire upon him. Because they were like slow motion to him, Gohan had to smirk at their efforts. He couldn't help it he was having too much fun.

Quickly zipping through the air faster then a speeding bullet, appeared behind two more soldiers, floating behind them a foot above the ground upside down. Since they still hadn't noticed him, Gohan quickly made his move and, grabbing onto their ankles with the curves of his sword, pulled sharply, tripping them. When both soldier's suddenly fell forward and flat onto their guts, out cold from landing so sharply, Gohan flipped over at the same time as pulling on them, landing on top of them with either foot on the other and pushing off so that he flipped through the air towards the spot light guard standing behind them, firing shots from his revolver and pulling back the pin as quickly as he could.

Having flipped through the air and used the guards bodies and trampolines, Gohan threw both feet forward and smacked the guard in the chest, sending him flying back and ramming into the three guards behind him, knocking them out and over like dominoes,. Exposing the remaining solider who was the commanding officer himself.

Panicking at seeing his last protectors fall, the head officer reloaded his machine gun and raised it sharply and quickly so to attack the attacker before he was hit next. However, when he looked back up, Gohan was no where to be seen. Freaked out by the sudden disappearance of his target, he began backing off slowly, looking from left to right for his target. It was apparent that this man was faster and stronger then all of his men put together. Right now, he was eager to leave, even though he hadn't collected his weekly payment from Dimitri for his being here.

However, as he backed off, he suddenly felt something sharp prod into his back, forcing him to stop. Shocked, the head officer gulped and raised his hands, dropping his weapon. Gohan smirked and reached into the officer's back pocket, pulling out not only a wallet but a golden pen, comb and hand mirror.

"I'll take those thank you", said Gohan. After pulling out the prize from the officer's pocket, Gohan swiftly sent the base of the handle of his right sword into the head officer's neck, knocking him out cold and watching his body fall to the ground with a thud. With that accomplished and with no guards or soldiers in sight, Gohan raised his prize of wallet and gold to his level and examined his catch.

While looking through the man's wallet, at the same time leaving the man his prized photos and I.D card, Bentley came up to Gohan hurriedly and stood by his side, looking down and around at all the knocked out guards. Gohan hummed to himself as he tried on the match, at which Bentley whistled.

"Wow Gohan, nice watch", said the turtle, looking up at the young Saiyan. Gohan smirked, the glass front of the golden watch flashing in the light. He had to suspect that this watch was a Rolex, worth at least 1,000, maybe more. Bentley then looked back down at the unconscious guards and smiled, nodding in appreciation while slinging his crossbow over his shoulder for extra support. "And nice work with the guards too."

Gohan smiled down at his friend. "Thanks pal, it was the least I could do." The young Saiyan then gestured towards the fountain. "Do you think you could get to work on the fountain now?"

Bentley looked up startled. "W-What?! Oh, right!" Clock, finally his mind registered back to his objectives and quickly, before Gohan could say another word, Bentley scurried over to the fountain. Gohan chuckled at seeing Bentley hurry off to the fountain and while the turtle began working at the fountain control panel, Gohan went about looting the unconscious guards and soldiers. Since they weren't awake, he had very little reason to apologize.

A few minutes and a few pockets later, Murray and Sly arrived on the scene. At the same time Murray and Sly arrived on the scene, the central fountain in the middle of the roundabout switched off, the water flow canceling out. This earned a cheer from Bentley who leapt onto the edge of the fountain and jabbed his fist in triumph.

"Yes, I am the king", cheered the turtle. Sly and Murray stopped outside the front doors of the nightclub with Gohan joining them. The three of them all looked at Bentley for instructions while the turtle hurried towards them, rounding the water fountain and stopping before them.

Murray smiled and smacked his right fist into his left palm. "Objective complete pal, 'The Murray' has handled those alarm systems no sweat. Now where are those keys", said the hippo. Sly grinned and pulled two gold keys from the red pack strapped to his leg, holding them out to his big friend.

"Here they are Murray", said Sly. Murray nodded and swiped the keys from Sly's hand.

"Thanks Sly, that makes four of our objectives complete. Now what?" asked Murray? Gohan, Sly and Murray looked back towards Bentley for instructions. At this, Bentley began to speak again.

"Well, Murray and I will head over to the truck and get it started up", said Bentley, thumbing over his shoulder in the direction of one of the roads. After that, he pointed at Sly and traced his path across the entrance of the nightclub and up some platforms, windowsills and railing p to the top of the golden sign above them. "Sly, you'll have top work your way up to the top of this sign. When you're in position and we've driven the truck to our position, we'll fire the cable up to you. Once you've hooked the hook onto the sign Sly, you come down and with Gohan; I need you to keep any guards off our backs if they come round and attempt to sabotage our mission. Got it?"

Receiving the nods from his three friends, they broke up, Murray and Bentley disappearing down one of the linked up roads and Sly leaping into the air, using the porch covering above the entrance to bounce on it and used the many cables, wires and light bars to scale the sing to get to the top. Gohan meanwhile, after watching Murray and Bentley disappear around the corner, dashed out from under the porch Sly had leapt up onto and made his way round the switched off fountain. Turning around after making his way to the other side, Gohan turned around and looked up at the nightclub.

Watching from a distance, Gohan watched Sly expertly make his way to the top of the sign. Though the young Saiyan had seen Sly do these things in the past over the past few years, he could not help but be amazed by how he did it. Sly was built for these sort of things and Gohan knew that for anyone else, the tasks Sly was able to accomplish would be impossible. Here he was a fighter and expert martial artist, not to mention a good acrobat in his own right, but he just didn't have the proper style and weight to do the things Sly did. Both of them had mastered their techniques over the years and Gohan could see, Sly had developed in the ways his ancestors had perfected over the years of being a master thief.

Flipping through the air and gripping hold of near by wires, cables and hooks, Sly finished his climb and leapt onto one of the diminutive points created by the sign and its build. Spinning through the air, Sly landed on the sharp point using his ancestor, Riochi Cooper's technique, the Ninja Spire jump. Using this, Sly easily made his way to the front of the sing and landed on the small spire built into the sign. Keeping his position steady and in place, Sly waved down at Gohan who waved back from far down below.

"How are you doing Sly", called Gohan. Sly grinned and called back, his cane firmly grasped in his hand.

"I'm doing great Gohan. Watch out though, Bentley and Murray should be arriving any moment now", replied Sly. Gohan nodded and waved back to confirm Sly that he got his friend's reply.

"OK!"

Then, they waited. However, it didn't take too long for Gohan and Sly when they soon heard the sounds of a vehicle approaching from the distance and turned in the direction of the sound. The spluttering and whirring of the engine of an old truck sounded from down one of the roads within the city streets. A few seconds later after hearing the engine noise, the old, rusty cable truck came soaring down the road and skidding into the roundabout pit. It halted beside Gohan with its front facing the nightclub in front of it and with Bentley at the cable launcher stowed on the back.

When the truck stopped, its engine still chugging away, Murray rolled down the window on the vehicle and leaned out, his arm laid across the sill of the door and a smile on his face. Seeing Gohan standing outside the truck, he gave his friend the thumbs up.

"We're ready guys", said Murray. Gohan nodded and pointed up at the nightclub towards Sly. Murray followed Gohan's arm and saw the thieving raccoon perched on top of the golden sign. Though surprised to how fast Sly had managed to get up to that height, Murray knew better that the young thief was capable of such stunts.

Leaning over, Bentley saw Sly was in position and immediately called out. "Okay Sly, get ready. I'm going to fire the hook towards you so be ready to catch it then hook it into place!" Sly heard this and nodded.

"Okay Bentley", replied Sly.

Nodding in response, Bentley took his place at the ready and lifted the launcher upwards; aiming the hook towards Sly perched up on the sign. The sights of the hook launcher set itself on the raccoon and Bentley carefully took a proper aim so that when he fired he didn't have the hook hit Sly.

After cranking it up and applying enough pressure to the launcher, Bentley pulled the trigger, the hook soaring through the air, the cable trialing behind it. Sly saw it approach through his thief reflexes and quickly, shot his cane out, grabbing onto the steel hook before moving it and attaching it to the point he was stationed on. Bentley, Murray and Gohan cheered.

"Yes, great catch Sly", called Bentley. Sly whipped his forehead and removed his hat, waving it in the air.

"Great shot Bentley!"

Bentley nodded. "Right. Murray, power up this beast of a truck and pull! Sly, you may want to relocate!"

Hearing both Bentley and the engine of the truck whir loudly, Sly responded by leaping off of the spire point he had landed on and dropped four stories back down to the ground, landing on all fours softly and getting back to his feet. Instantly, Sly sprinted around the water fountain and rejoined his friends. By the time Sly reached Gohan; the whirring of the truck's engine began to roar loudly. The engine had a lot of power; in evidence to this the entire truck was shaking.

Feeling this, Bentley leapt off of the truck and stood by Gohan and Sly, giving Murray the thumbs up. "OK Murray, let it rip!"

Murray glanced towards Bentley and nodded, giving his friends the Ok sign. "Right!" Turning back to the wheel and gripping it tightly, Murray stick shifted the truck to reverse and hit the accelerator, the forward wheels of the vehicle skidding along the ground as it raced at break net speeds. Creating a burn out the truck strained itself immensely and soon enough, the strain became so great that the sign was pulled from its place, the truck moving backwards as the sign was pulled down.

With a loud explosion and a crash, the sign landed on top of the fountain, piercing straight through the ground and penetrating the underground printing press room. The entire thing burst straight through the ground, dust and smoke hurling everywhere as well as rubble and debris bursting outwards from the sign crashing through the ground.

When the rumbling and dust cleared, Bentley, Gohan and Sly stepped forward. Murray, who had recently exited the stopped truck dashed over to the three of them and stood by Sly. The entire group was marveled by the spectacular sight of the entire sign crashing to the ground and amazingly enough, none of the unconscious guards or soldiers lying around the entire structure were harmed at all. They were only covered by some dusts and specks of debris.

Bentley grinned and held his arms out towards the sign and its marvelous collapse. "Success! Behold the wonders of gravity and precision!" cried Bentley. Gohan and Sly nodded and crossed their arms, impressed at the fine work they had created in such a short amount of time.

"Well played Bentley, nice going", said Gohan.

"Yeah, you certainly know your math", continued Sly. Bentley shrugged.

"Well I try", said the turtle, however his voice was still a bit worried. "Anyway, Sly you'll have to go down into the printing press room and scout ahead. Me, Murray and Gohan will meet up with you later. We'll get the van started." Bentley then turned to Gohan standing beside him. "And you Gohan, I need you to gather up all those soldiers and guards and tie them up. Regroup with us back at the safe house!"

Gohan and Sly nodded at Bentley's plans and quickly, moved on to complete their final objectives. Bentley and Murray moved on too, turning on their heel and making their way back to the safe house. Gohan and Sly broke off and took their own assigned paths, Sly leaping into the gaping hole created by the sign still embedded in the ground and Gohan making his way around the war torn sight and gathering up all the soldiers and guards lying around.

Using the various objects and stuff hanging around from the breech created by the sign, Sly made his way down and into the large room he suspected to be the printing press room. All around were brick and steel made walls as well as lamps hanging from the steel support made ceiling accompanied by walkways and railings. However, the main master piece in the centre of this amazing structure was seated a couple of stories below. The large machine in the middle still hard at work and furiously printing sheets of money was a giant printer. Though it was built to print newspaper Dimitri had upgraded it to print money. And, in place where the printing plates were supposed to be were the Clockwerk tail feathers. Dimitri was using them as printing plates. Given their rare alloy they'll never where out.

Leaping and gripping onto a hanging cable, Sly slid down it slowly and upon reaching the bottom, released his hold on it and turned towards the large printer. However, instead of seeing the Clockwerk tail feathers at work he found somebody blocking his way. Standing in his path was the forger Dimitri. He was a tall anthropomorphic, purple iguana. He wore green leather trousers and a green leather jacket over a red tight muscle shirt. His pants were belted up with the belt buckle being made of solid gold. His fingers were completely occupied by rings of all sorts, gold, diamond encrusted etc. To add to it, he had blue wavy hair and his appearance was shall we say something out of the 60's or 70's. He wasn't muscular at all. In fact, he looked rather skinny to be wearing a muscle shirt.

Sly stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of Dimitri and stood his ground in front of the high classed forger who glared down at the Raccoon with anger in his eyes. He had a cigar lit and was smoking it at the moment, taking short yet deep puffs, making rings of smoke with it.

"So Cooper, you are the one grooving around and messing things up. Ooh", said the large iguana with a sigh of distress. "You are so un-cool man… why you do this to me huh? What have I done that would make you such a color blind… thief?"

Sly raised his eyebrow. Not only did Dimitri speak in street slang but he also linked it with a bit of a hip-hop tone. TO him, it just sounded weird as his English was a bit off too. However, seeing as that he was still on a mission, Sly stepped forward and brandished his cane up at the iguana. "Look here Dimitri, I'm not color blind nor do I have any ill reason into breaking into your joint but I came here for one thing and one thing only", stated Sly. He then pointed the hook of his cane towards the printing machine. "I came here for the Clockwerk tail feathers. So either you hand them over or face me!"

Dimitri was baffled. "No Cooper! Why should I do something so upbeat like that?! And you are wrong, you are color blind! Have you no vision! Look at the money", exclaimed Dimitri, stepping away and pointing towards the sheets of money being printed, the Clockwerk tail feathers continuing to press their works into the sheets of linen. "Yes, you like the money don't you? You are a thief no? Of course you are, and you… you can take as much as you want! Show me your bling! You and me, we can share the mullah and together, we can be rich man! Rich as kings! LET ME SHINE YOU! Just to take away something so important is so un-cool man! Come on, dance to the rhythm and see what its like!"

Sly furrowed his brow. He had no idea what Dimitri was saying. Even though he did understand some things Dimitri said, the man made absolutely no sense whatsoever.

Shaking his head, Sly slung his cane over his shoulder. "I… don't understand what you're saying… but not thank you. And… and your outfit stinks!" said Sly, not knowing how to respond to the iguana.

What Sly said proved to be a mistake as he had offended the young dancer and, in a screech of rage, Dimitri took a fighting stance which was more like a dancing pose and flung his head back into the air. "OH YAH! Let's dance!" Laughing evilly well… evilly for his type, Dimitri sped off in a hurl of purple, sparkly dust. Sly was rather surprised at Dimitri's speeds as the iguana suddenly appeared on the far end of the room behind some barrel so fink and cases of counterfeit bills.

From his point of the room, Dimitri grinned, a purple aura of light surrounding him as if a spotlight were upon him. Doing a spin, Dimitri through his index finger forward and took his aim at his opponent. "Come on Cooper, let's go! Take to the dance floor and let's mambo!"

With a yell, Dimitri fired from his ring what looked to be a orange laser bolt that shot through the air like a bullet. This startled Sly greatly and, reacting quickly to the shot, the thief sped out of the way, the orange bolt of energy striking the ground where he once stood exploding, creating an explosive ash mark in the steel ground. He had moved just in time and Dimitri saw the thief relocate.

Following Sly sprint across the room with his eyes, Dimitri laughed and did a spin, throwing his left hand forward again and firing a second energy shot from his ring, the bolt of energy soaring through the air and straight at Sly. Sly however saw the bolt of energy approaching and quickly changed course, skidding and leaping through the, leaping over Dimitri's attack. This time, Sly sprinted straight for Dimitri. If he didn't beat Dimitri now, the Clockwerk tail feathers would fall back into the police's hands which were certainly the wrong hands for all he knew.

Dimitri growled in frustration when he saw Sly approaching him, weaving around the barrels of ink, paper and cases of money along the way. Not wanting to have the thief come any closer, Dimitri threw his left hand forward again and fired another shot or orange energy. The bolt shot straight at Sly's head and, seeing this, Sly reacted quickly and moved to the side a bit to avoid it. The blast shot straight past him and Sly continued on, unscathed.

Dimitri took aim again and was about to fire another shot when suddenly, his ring exploded and he shook his hand from the burning sensation on his finger, sparks of energy falling from his ring. The forger was too distracted to take notice when Sly leapt at him a few meters away sending a kick straight into Dimitri's face.

Looking up, Dimitri was suddenly kicked across the face, sending him stagger backwards from the force of the blow. While Sly was still falling forward with his kick, he then landed back on the ground and, cranking back his right fist, sent it up at Dimitri's chin. The blow smacked Dimitri again, sending him staggering back from the blow. It was a tremendous shot and before he knew it, Sly rammed an elbow into his gut, knocking him senseless.

Dimitri fell back onto the ground and Sly, seeing his opponent down was about to attack again when Dimitri made a startling maneuver. Cranking his legs back, Dimitri suddenly flipped back onto his feet and, with Sly still raising his cane above his head to attack, the lounge lizard spun on his toes and sent his tail straight at Sly's unguarded chest. Sly let out a loud 'umph' from the blow as he was sent flying back. The blow was enough to send him crashing into a case of money, the case exploding and sending bills flying everywhere, burying Sly in the green material.

Dimitri laughed and spun, doing another dance pose while keeping his cigarette in his mouth. "Yeah baby! That is how you dance!" cheered Dimitri, ignoring the pain in his stomach and face. He had a couple of bruises on his face accompanied by a bleeding lip but all in all, the forger was still fighting fit.

Sly, rubbing his stomach from the blow sat up, his cane still gripped tightly in his left hand. When he heard Dimitri's proclamation, the thief smiled and flipped back up onto his feet, dropping into a fighting stance., the hook of his cane gleaming with light. "Oh no Dimitri, the party is just getting started!"

Dimitri laughed and spun, doing another pose while holding his right hand out towards his opponent. His index finger ring glowed a bright orange as he charged up another energy shot as it had fixed. The ring just overcharged itself. "Oh yeah Coopus dudeous! Let's see your moves! My suit is like greasy sweet man!"

Sly smirked. "Oh yeah! Come on Dimitri, show me what you've got!"

Smirking, Dimitri held onto his right wrist with his left hand and, charging up his blast, fired off another round at the thief. The shot launched itself at Sly at bullet like speeds but Sly, using his lightning fast reflexes in a technique he dubbed combat dodged, side stepped the attack and shot back at Dimitri, cane held up in attack. Dimitri saw his opponent attack and, making a ridiculous pose, send a kick at the charging thief.

Sly avoided the punch barely and sent a knee up at Dimitri's chest, the blow smacking the forger hard and knocking the wind out of him. Dimitri gasped for breath at the blow but quickly recovered and cranking back his left fist, sent it at Sly's head. Sly made a full ninety degree bend backwards to avoid the punch, the punch passed him over completely. With Dimitri's fist still held out, Sly used his cane and knocked his arm out of the way and, while Dimitri's arm was flying back from being knocked away, Sly pulled himself back up and, cranking his cane back, sent it across Dimitri's face. The blow knocked a couple of teeth out of the iguana and some blood but as before, Dimitri recovered. Pulling his left arm, back, he swiped at Sly, only to have the clever thief leap over his swipe attack and kick him across the face again.

Dimitri staggered back and Sly quickly approached. Landing on the ground after kicking Dimitri, Sly leapt at the still stagger Dimitri and, holding his cane in two hands made clean and decisive swipes again and again across Dimitri's face. The blows knocked Dimitri senseless and made him stagger back even more. Just as he was about to tumble back, Sly zipped around him and sent a kick into his back, sending Dimitri flying forward and crashing into a barrel of ink. Ink spluttered all over him as the barrel dented and Dimitri fell onto it limply.

With Dimitri holding his position and trying to keep himself on his feet, Sly smirked and dropped into another fighting stance, gesturing towards the young forger. "Come on Dimitri, one more song!"

Dimitri was furious. Pushing himself back onto his feet, the forger, though swaying slightly, did another ridiculous pose and grinned. A couple of teeth were missing from his tooth lining and he was more bruised and battered then ever, his clothes all a wreck. "OK Cooper man! Have it your way! (Cough)" chocked out the dancer.

Smirking, Sly leapt through the air and, spinning, made a swipe kick at Dimitri's head. Dimitri however ducked the shot and sent a right punch up at the still airborne Sly. Sly however used Dimitri's slacking fist and pushed off of it, leaping into the air to gain more altitude before dropping back down o the ground. Stubborn and not giving up yet, Dimitri made another effort to attack, sending a slow left kick at Sly who blocked it easily. With his kick blocked, Dimitri sent a left punch down at his opponent. Sly once again blocked it but this time stepped back, and when he did, Sly sent a side kick up at the Dimitri's head, knocking him back with tremendous force.

Dimitri staggered back uncontrollably and, ironically enough, the forger suddenly smacked into the control panel of his printing machine. The reaction was intense as on impact with the printer, the control panel and the machine ruptured immediately and in an incredible display of light and sparks, the machine exploded internally, knocking Dimitri forward and ceasing all aspects the machine needed to print anymore money.

Flying forward, the forger slammed into a pillar and rebounded off of it, falling back and landing in one of the empty tube barrels used to hold the ink. Too bad it was empty, but that amazing finish was all that was needed to hold Dimitri as he became stuck. Though he may have tried to get out, he was too knocked up, damaged and exhausted to move. With the printing machine on the fritz and still spitting electricity and sending unfinished bills flying into the air, Dimitri was finished!

Dimitri growled and slammed his fist, all strength leaving him soon after. "Curse you Cooper! You have ruined my outfit! That is so un-cool… so cold… so weak man!" Sly smiled and crossed his arms.

"Sorry Dimitri… but your dancing is lame. Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'll collect my prize." Dimitri growled and further mentally cursed the thief before falling into unconsciousness. Sly used this time to unscrew the Clockwerk tail feathers from the printing machine and with all three feathers in tow, slung them over his shoulder and gave himself the thumbs up.

"_Now this is something I can live with!"

* * *

_

_**Sly's thoughts…**_

"My gang and I had done it, after a mind boggling heist, the Clockwerk tail feathers were mine, and Dimitri's counterfeit operation was all a loss. Gohan, Bentley and Murray joined me on the railings over looking Dimitri's shattered base of operations and we all took one look back at the once 'great' forger trapped in a barrel. Gohan said I must have given him quite a work out. All I could say was Dimitri's dancing was a real down beat."

"Due to the untimely of Carmelita and Videl on the seen accompanied by a swath of police forces, escape became a little tricky, but we managed to slip away. Neyla was still with them. I was surprised she still was. I thought Carmelita and Videl would have done away with her. Disappointed at having just missed us, Carmelita and Videl arrested the next best thing to us. Dimitri, the forger, was soon locked up behind bars and his nightclub was shut down permanently."

"After our tough ordeal, the gang and I took a week off in Monaco. Touring the great city and visiting the many gambling committees and nightclubs not run by corrupted figureheads, Bentley used this time to try out his new card deal technique. Much to Murray's surprise, the turtle actually had a good hand in this one. Though the gang and I were rested up, we knew that the Clockwerk threat was still out there and soon enough, we were on the move again. Heading back home, we started looking up on the next Klaww gang member and somehow, I knew that things were about to get tougher…"

* * *

_**Character power level(s):**_

Cooper gang:

_Sly Cooper: 1,500_

_Murray: 1,950_

_Bentley: 325_

_Gohan: 200,000,000_

_Super Saiyan Gohan: 400,000,000_

_Super Saiyan 2 Gohan: 625,000,000_

_Super Saiyan 3: 2,500,000,000_

Klaww gang:

_Dimitri: 1,000_

_Dimitri (ring laser): 5,000_

Interpol:

_Inspector Carmelita Montoya Fox: 1,015_

_Inspector Videl Bideru Satan: 1,200_

Other:

_Rat thugs: 150_

_Toad thugs: 100_

_Boar Spotlight guards: 200_

_Nightclub guards: 175_

_Mercenary solider(s): 250_

_Interpol Police: 200_

_Interpol Riot Police: 1,000

* * *

_

TO BE CONTINUED…


	15. A Starry Eyed Encounter

DRAGONBALL Z **meets _Sly Cooper_**

_**A Starry-eyed Encounter**_

_**Sly's thoughts…**_

"Another Clockwerk part had surfaced in India, so the gang and I loaded up the van and zeroed in on our next target, a mysterious spice lord named Rajan, an anthropomorphic tiger with an incredible disposition."

"Rajan was a self made man who grew up poor on the streets of Calcutta, selling illegal spices on the black market. It started out as a small outfit which soon slowly grew into a sizable operation, earning him a place in the prestigious Klaww Gang. He had since crowned himself 'Lord of the hills', going to great lengths to convince others of his royalty although it was mostly to convince himself, to hide his humble origins."

"True to form, Rajan is hosting a royal ball in his recently purchased 'ancestral' palace… where he would be showing off his latest accusation, the Clockwerk wings; the symbol of my enemy. If you saw the wings silhouetted against the night sky, then you knew it was already too late, especially if your name was Cooper."

"Rajan hopes that the Clockwerk wings would bring him prestige, and maybe they will. But they're also bringing me!"

* * *

_**India, just outside Rajan's palace…**_

Parked just outside the front gate of the large fortress like palace, the four members of the Cooper gang Gohan, Bentley, Sly and Murray gazed up at the enormous structure above them. Though they had seen similar fortresses in their time this one beats them all as the heavily defended palace and high walls made things even more challenging. Because the draw bridge overhanging the river had been pulled up, they were unable to enter Rajan's turf.

From a distance the gang was able to see the palace and its design as clear as day. But because it was night, it made things even more challenging. Beyond the high, thickly made and smooth walls were an entire town populated by Rajan's guards. The buildings surrounding Rajan's main palace's main building were mostly consisted of restaurants, hotels and stores. To add to it, Rajan had also set up armed defenses including turrets, armored cars and a chopper that circulated the entire airspace of the palace. This was a complete, Indian style made palace and from what the gang could see, this was not going to be easy.

Bentley placed his hands on his hips and shook his head while looking up and down the entire palace structure. He knew that no explosives would be able to crack this cookie and if he the opportunity to do so he wouldn't be able to do it without alerting the attention of the surrounding armed forces and defenses.

Murray crossed his arms and nodded while whistling in amazement. "Wow…how do you suppose we're going to break into this place", asked the hippo. Sly shrugged but smiled.

"Not sure, but when we do I'll be sure to enjoy robbing Rajan of his treasures", replied Sly. Gohan blinked and looked left and right over the walkway above them on the wall. From enhancing his vision Gohan could see a number of guards walking on the walkway, a number of them were spotlight guards. To add to it, beyond the walls, on their approach to the palace Gohan was able to spot a far more advanced type of patrol. An elephant group stomping around the entire palace streets, a platform situated on each and every one of them with guards and spotlights mounted on top of them.

The spotlight guards were no different as they were also heavily armed. Wearing basic Indian guards uniforms, they wielded curved and thick bladed swords, two of which strapped to their backs and another one held firmly in their right hand, a highly flammable lamp held in their left. With the lamps they were able to see things ahead of them like a flashlight and from close examinations, these guards were anthropomorphic rhino's. Tough looking rhino's that looked quite threatening.

Bentley shook his head and looked down at the ground with a sigh, catching everyone's attentions. "I'd hate to say this guys but Rajan has completely sealed off entry, preventing any unwanted guests from entering. I suppose we'll have to find another way around", said Bentley. Gohan shrugged.

"Sorry Bentley but I won't be able to fly over this wall, what with the guards on patrol and a chopper in the air. We'll just have to get around this wall some other way other then blowing up the entire place or flying over", said Gohan. Sly scratched his chin in thought and looked over at the drawn up bridge above. Because they were parked at the base of the wall beside the river dividing the land from the palace, they were unable to see what was exactly over this thing.

Making up his mind, Sly looked down and turned to the others standing around him. "Bentley", said Sly, catching his friend's attention. The turtle looked up at him.

"What is it Sly", asked Bentley. Sly grinned. Bentley recognized that grin as his ever so mischievous grin that promised both trouble and a promising idea. Sly was one to come up with a couple of brilliant ideas in the past but when it came to big heists like this, perhaps it was better for Bentley to work on the plans. But Sly had cooked up something real good.

"How about this." Sly gestured towards the gate. "If Gohan was to throw me over the wall I just might be able to get to the control panel to this bridge and lower it. After I have managed to lower the bridge Gohan and I could dress up and infiltrate the palace", suggested Sly. Bentley rubbed the bottom of his jaw thoughtfully and looked up at the wall and back at Gohan. Bentley repeated this couple of times and shrugged.

"In theory it could work."

Sly grinned and turned to Gohan and Murray. "OK you two. While Gohan is preparing to throw me over, I need you Murray", said Sly pointing at the hippo beside Gohan. "To drive the van into the palace's perimeter and park it into position where we'll be ready to make our getaway. When that is done, I need you and Bentley to dress up as formally as possible and make your way up to the palace where we will meet you. Make sure that you bring a power saw with you."

Murray and Gohan nodded and quickly, assumed their posts. Murray dashed over to the van parked several meters from their position and quickly hopped in and started the engine. Bentley meanwhile backed away and watched Sly stepped in front of Gohan and turned towards the palace. The rumbling of the van behind them was the only thing heard besides the crickets chirping in the distance and the sounds of elephants trumpeting.

Sly turned to Gohan and nodded. "Now!"

With a nod in return, Gohan picked up Sly by the waste and, while Sly tucked himself into a ball, Gohan threw him up and, when Sly dropped back towards him, Gohan caught him in his right hand and, spinning around, tossed him up and straight over the wall of the palace walls. Sly maneuvered himself through the air as he flew up and over the wall and, spinning a couple of times in his ball form, he suddenly opened up, spreading his limbs out and dropped towards the ground below.

After falling those few dozen stories, Sly landed on all fours. The shock of the landing didn't damage him at all and he pushed himself back onto his feet into his symbolic crouched position. Looking left and right with a smirk, Sly turned on his heel and ran around the corner and into the oversized archway where the bridge was. As soon as he entered the oversized archway structure, Sly looked around the darkened areas for the control panel. He soon found it built into the side of the wall, its console flashing brightly.

"**_Hey Sly, do you see the console switch",_** asked Bentley over the wire. Sly smiled and, reaching out, gripped the handle switch on the control console.

"Yup…" he then pulled it sharply, a resounding loud beep was heard and the chains holding the draw bridge up slacking. Slowly, the draw bridge lowered and soon enough, the massive wooden structure was positioned across the river, creating an open path and revealing Gohan, Bentley and Murray in the van standing just in front of it. Sly smiled and released his grip on the draw bridge control panel lever.

Gohan, seeing Sly standing by the control panel with his arms crossed and a smug smile on his face. Bentley chuckled and rubbed the back of his head in a way Gohan does on a number of occasions. The sight was rather amusing for the gang who watched Sly get tossed over a ten story high wall.

"Gee, you certainly move fast don't you Sly", said Bentley. Sly grinned and shrugged.

"Guess so… but I guess you get used to it after years of service and field work." He then gestured them over with a quick move of his head. "Alright guys, this way!"

Bentley and Gohan nodded. "Right!" With that, Bentley hopped into the van and Gohan sprinted forward, joining Sly on the other side of the drawbridge, the van pulled up beside them soon enough and with Bentley at the turret incase they were spotted or attacked, Murray drove quickly and expertly through the palace's inner streets. Sly was on lookout for any guards so if the raccoon ever caught sight of any he would advise Murray to change course and head in a different direction.

Wheeling through the dark ends of the palace with the lights doused and headlights off, the Cooper gang worked their way up to Rajan's main building where they saw the familiar lights of a party being held. They had to on one occasion cross a second river cutting through the palace and when they did, they pressed on with very little trouble. Although they were nearly press ganged by a couple of elephant patrols and spot light guards, they managed to slip out of their sights and carry on. Bentley, Gohan and Sly were surprised that the noise of the van hadn't attracted any attention but Murray conferred that he had made a few simple upgrades to the engines so that they ran on silent. Pretty could improvement especially to the greatest band of thieves on the face of the earth.

After several minutes of silence with Murray still at the wheel, the ground finally arrived at the turf outside Rajan's large main palace building. The entire lobby looked crowded and was swarming with hundreds of guards as was the turf outside the entrance, a large balcony over head. There was no doubt tat the hustle and bustle of formal and rich patrons were attending the ball held by Rajan and from the looks of it almost every person from each country was here.

Murray parked the van at the corner of the street, its back doors facing the turf and with the internal lights switched off. In the back of the van Murray and Bentley watched Gohan and Sly slip into some formal dress wear. Though it was rare to see the pair in a different outfit rather then their thief clothes they were famous for, it was still nice to get out of their clothes and into some different outfits such as costumes and all sorts of other clothes.

When they were dressed, Bentley and Murray finally saw the full results of their change. Sly was now dressed in a purple tuxedo with a blue tie and a white bonnet. The cuffs on his sleeves weren't anything to catch a person's attention but he still looked dashing. To complete the outfit and not give himself away, he wore black dancing shoes and no mask, although even without his mask, he still looks like he's wearing one.

Gohan was looking quite remarkable himself, a black tuxedo similar to Sly's except he had tails on his suit. He wore a white shirt underneath his jacket with a black bowtie and white bonnet similar to Sly's. He had white cuffs sticking out of his black suit sleeves and he also wore black shoes. To add to it, he had combed his hair so that it was more defined and he looked as though he were in his Mystic state.

Tugging on his collar, Sly glanced over at Bentley and shrugged, turning around for the audience. "Well pal, what do you think, pretty fetching aye." Bentley and Murray sniggered under their breaths at the sight of both thieves. Gohan and Sly looked at each other a little baffled but shrugged, being indifferent to the other's appearance. Honestly, they didn't mind.

"What", asked Gohan. Murray wiped his eyes out from any tears caused by his laughing but he still couldn't help but stutter out laughter as he spoke.

"It… it-s nothing you guys… you both look… (snigger) great", replied Murray. Gohan shrugged, straightening his cuffs.

"Fine by me", replied the young Saiyan glancing over at Sly. "What do you think, should we trust them with our looks?" Sly grinned, fixing up his suit.

"Of course, because if we're caught, they're the first people we're going after", said Sly. Gohan nodded in agreement.

"Suit yourself", after that was said he turned back to Bentley and Murray who in turn had stopped sniggering at what Sly had said before. "So, do we have a plan at getting at those Clockwerk wings?"

Shaking out of his stupor, Bentley fixed his glasses and turned to his computer fixed in the side of the van's rear compartment. Sly, Gohan and Murray gathered around their strategist Supreme and watched intently and with interest. Bentley fixed the headsets on his ears and switched on all the components before turning back to Sly and Gohan and handing the pair their ear pieces. In unison, they collected their ear pieces from Bentley and fitted them into their ears before taking a pocket camera from Bentley next.

"Of course we do, but I'm going to have to rely on you two to do the work around here. I'll coordinate your movements from here and brief you in on your objectives. First I'll need some reconnaissance photos so to get a good map on your surroundings. Once you've transmitted the photos through your latest, new and improved pocket cameras, mingle around with the crowds while I give you your next assignments. Murray will be moving onto the roof of the palace so to watch you and bust you out of there in case you get into any trouble while he also keeps a lookout for the Clockwerk wings." Reaching under the computer desk, Bentley handed Murray a thick rope which Murray took with a surprised expression edged on his face when the rope was suddenly shoved into his unwilling hands.

Bentley smiled. "If the case is needed, Murray will be doing some spy work, dropping in through the sky line and stealing the Clockwerk wings. If they are welded into place, use this buzz saw", said Bentley, handing Murray a really large power saw with a jagged blade that looked quite sharp. "This should be powerful enough to weld into those wings and slice them free of any solid object. It looks like me and Murray will have to do this separately, sorry." Sly and Gohan smiled down at him.

"That's OK pal", said Sly. Gohan nodded.

"Yeah, I'm sure there will be another time when you'll get your chance to fight the real villain", continued the young Saiyan. Bentley chuckled.

"Of course, but fighting impossible odds isn't really my specialty. Good luck you two, keep us posted!" concluded Bentley. As Sly opened the back door, Murray saluted them off from the front seat of the van.

"See yah guys. Remember, 'The Murray' will be watching over you two", said the hippo. Gohan and Sly nodded in appreciation and disappeared, closing the doors and blacking out the van once again.

Glancing at each other, Gohan and Sly shook each other's hands and gave each other a confident nod of fortune. "Good luck Sly."

"You too Gohan, come on", replied Sly.

Together, the pair of richly dressed thieves walked side by side in formal fashion towards Rajan's main building where the ball was being held. However, just as they were about to step up onto the stairs leading up towards the double door entrance, they both suddenly changed course and broke off. Reaching the walls beside the double door entrance the pair suddenly started scaling the walls by using the various bricks and pipes. Swiftly, the two climbed up the walls and reached the large balcony above them which, fortunately for them was empty and deserted. The guests were all held inside so they didn't need to worry about anything.

Straightening their clothes after reaching the balcony and were safely standing on its tile surface, the two thieves made their way to the unguarded double doors and pushed themselves in, the doors swinging open easily without any restraints from locks or chains. Upon entering the balcony, they soon realized that they had walked into a bedroom and from looking around; they knew exactly whose bedroom this was.

It was Rajan's bedroom and from the looks of it, it was empty so they were safe. From their position in front of the doors leading to the balcony they had just left behind they could see the room from a good perspective. The room was large and circular with a large, king sized bed in the centre of it. Because the floors progressed in a stair like fashion the central part of the room where the bed was built was the highest point. Behind the giant bed was an arch way leading into Rajan's bath and wash room and on the other side of the bed was the exit to the room. At the foot end of the bed against the room's wall was a massive plasma screen T.V with loud speakers which sort of stuck out from the design of the room. Their were curtains, drapes and all sorts of silk décor hanging down from the bedroom ceiling in red, gold, yellow, green and purple. The floor was carpeted red and along the floor was decorated with small pieces of furniture such as tables, bean bag sized pillows, baskets and pots with palms growing out of them.

Sly and Gohan stared around the room for a couple of moments before discovering something rather enticing and interesting. Beside Rajan's bed was a golden box that was partially open with what looked to be a diamond necklace hanging out from it. Raising an eyebrow, Gohan walked up the steps towards the table beside Rajan's bed and pushed the lid up. Sly joined Gohan a second later and both the thieves saw something that was definitely a high priority to them. It was a jewel box filled with some rather appetizing jewelry. Diamond and ruby encrusted necklaces, gold and silver rings, bracelets, earrings… everything a high spice lord needed to make him look glamorous to the public's eye.

Smirking, Sly grabbed a handful of the jewelry and showed it to Gohan who had the same devilish smirk on his face. "What do you know, and I half expected this stuff to be fake. Unlike the other big criminals Rajan really is one to not disappoint."

Gohan nodded and grabbed another handful of jewelry, emptying the box completely of its contents. "I suppose when we bust his bucket he'll be coming back to collect these before making a run for it. I've got a new plan. When we have the Clockwerk wings stowed away, Rajan would more then likely flee his party, coming up here to collect his valuables. However, when he gets here, we'll be waiting for him."

Sly smiled and nodded. "Sounds tasteful. Let's do it. You go on down to the ball and take those reconnaissance photos, I'll relay Bentley our new objectives." Gohan nodded and, quickly pocketing the jewels, turned on his heel and headed over to the exit to Rajan's room.

Hearing Sly linking up with Bentley, Gohan quietly slid open the door and took a peek outside. There were no guards but the sight before Gohan was even more amazing and eye catching.

The room outside the door was a massive, circular based room that made up 50 percent of Rajan's main building. A walkway just outside of the door Gohan was looking out circulated the entire building and about a story below the walkway was the ballroom floor itself. The carpeting all around was red but the ballroom dance floor was tiled white, as was the ground level so that left the entire walkway above carpeted. Purple drapes hang from the ceiling as decorations, adding to the white marble pillars, walls and ceiling itself. Apart from the ceiling, slap bang right in the central part of the roof was a skyline window so to show the magnificent night sky above.

Lying about the entire palace ballroom were pots of palm trees, furniture, paintings hung up on the walls and stairs leading up to the walkways above. However, the most captivating of all décor in the entire ballroom was a massive golden statue of a God built on the far end of the room from what Gohan could see and sitting in front of the statue situated on a platform made of stairs leading upwards towards it was a golden seat and sitting in it was Rajan himself. The spice lord was busy watching the party before him that was swarming with guests from all over the place, many of them Gohan couldn't really make out but he could identify as high class.

But the audience, guests and Rajan was not what really interested Gohan. It was what was on the statue behind Rajan that mattered to him and why he was here. On the back of the statue spanned out at full length were the Clockwerk wings. Their silver plating's and symbolic sight sending a shiver down his spine. He remembered the last time when he saw those wings and to whom they were attached to and it really freaked him out to how effective they can be in the wrong hands.

This was it. This was the moment Gohan was going to use to get as much data as he could for Bentley and the position he was in was perfect. Pulling out his pocket portable camera, Gohan began taking snap shots of the entire crowd and ballroom. The most important shots were of the Clockwerk wings and Rajan himself. However, as Gohan sought out the crowd, more and more things began piling up and soon, several more subjects became apparent on his importance list. After snapping his last few shots, he watched the ballroom floor down below to see the most extravagant sight he had ever seen in his life.

"_I don't believe it… Videl is here!"_

True to his willing eyes she was. The raven haired girl was all dressed up smartly for the party and from the looks of it, she was in undercover mode. This was something he had been able to experience on a number of occasions. But ignoring the fact that Videl was actually on an undercover mission, Gohan couldn't help but be captivated by Videl's features. She was a sight to behold. True she had her hair cut short it didn't just make her less prone to having someone grab her hair, it was also used to show off her magnificent body which he had to say looked irresistible in that sparkling blue tube dress that was cut short just above the knees, showing off those slender legs of hers. She also wore blue high heels with purple, silk made lacewing and ruby sapphire earrings. She also had red lipstick on and mascara on her eyelashes. Her skin was so smooth and clear and her figure did so much for it.

"_She's an angel",_ thought Gohan, only to be distracted by Sly coming up next to him and tapping him on the shoulder, causing Gohan to turn his gaze away from his mate towards his friend. Sly gestured into the room.

"Are you sure Rajan would be running into here as soon as we bust him?" asked his friend. Gohan smiled and nodded, raising his right hand and thumbing down into the ballroom below behind the slightly opened door.

"Of course. Firstly his reputation would be in a shambles and secondly, he wouldn't want to leave a third of his fortune behind what with the cops here", said Gohan. Sly looked shocked.

"What", he breathed in disbelief. Gohan nodded.

"Yup… Videl, Carmelita and Neyla, they're all here", said Gohan. Sly, still unable to believe what Gohan was saying took a peek out the door and examined the guests far below. After a couple of minutes, Sly finally found all three of them in this 'where's Wally' game. Carmelita was the first one he spotted. She had her hair done up, showing off that gorgeous face of hers and was wearing a black dress that hugged at her curves, showing off her goddess of a figure. And this was coming out of his mind. There was no doubt that the only vixen down there was Carmelita.

Neyla was the last of the girl's he found down there among the crowds. Who in the world could fail to spot a purple tigress with an equally good figure to his lover? Sly noticed that all three girls were perfectly dressed for the occasion and were obviously hiding out of Rajan's view. After carefully seeking them out, Sly turned back to Gohan and nodded.

"I see. Now either their presence here would make this job more difficult in getting the Clockwerk wings out of here without them noticing, or this can offer us quite an experience and we can arrest Rajan in the process", said Sly, a mischievous smile spreading across his lips. Gohan nodded and was about to make a comment when Bentley suddenly came on air.

"**_Sly! Gohan, can you hear me"_**, came the hushed, loud whisper of the turtle. Gohan and Sly winced and pressed their fingers to their ear pieces to get a better reception.

"Yeah, we here you pal", said Sly.

"What is it Bentley, have you formulated a plan to get at the feathers?" Bentley nodded on his end and continuously typed into his keyboard connected to his computer.

"**_You can bet on it that I have! But I've discovered something in the pictures that might complicate things. Four of the best Interpol cops are undercover at this party"_**, said Bentley. Gohan and Sly looked at each other in surprise and glanced back out through the crack in the door down onto the ball. Other then the loud ballroom music echoing around the entire palace, they could also hear the sounds of numerous people talking and laughing in their social activities.

"Four", Sly said in question.

"There's only three of them, out there Bentley: Videl, Carmelita and Neyla."

Bentley nodded. **_"Though it is true that there are three of them familiar to you, it might unease you to know that the Contessa is out among them. She's an anthropomorphic black widow spider who owns a large estate and is the warden of the Prague Correctional institution which is also her primary clinic and a maximum security prison."_** Sly nodded.

"That place is a hell hole. Let's hope we don't get caught. The odds are stacked against us then", said Sly. Gohan nodded as well but looked a little skeptical. Even though he could handle this group of cops easily with his back turned, he could still sense some more bad news on the way.

"Is there anything else we have to know Bentley before we move in", asked Gohan. Bentley typed up a few more photos onto his computer and wiped his forehead.

"**_Unfortunately yes! Rajan isn't the only member of the Klaww gang hosting this elaborate ball but two more members are also involved. Jean Bison and Arpeggio. Jean Bison is the local transporter and supplier of the spices up North while Arpeggio is perhaps the obvious founder of the gang. I'm afraid this changes everything"_**, said Bentley in regret. Sly shrugged.

"Thanks for the warning. Any sign of Murray", asked Sly.

"**_Murray should be moving into position. All you need to do is distract the guests until he has taken the Clockwerk wings and brought them back to the van. When the party is in a shambles and Rajan has fled to his room, I need you to be waiting there for him to take him out!"_** Sly raised a finger as if to stop Bentley or to ask a teacher a question. Incredibly enough he did have a question.

"Bentley, this is just out of plane curiosity but do we really need to take Rajan out? He looks pretty tough", said Sly. Bentley sighed.

"**_Come on Sly, you know it's for the greater good. Besides, not only will we be putting a local operative of the Klaww gang behind bars but we would be also stopping the leader of the illegal spice operation. To add to the litter, upon examining the photos Gohan had taken, I found yet another Clockwerk part,"_** said Bentley. Gohan raised an eyebrow.

"What!? Which one", asked the young Saiyan? Bentley smiled.

"**_The Clockwerk heart. Apparently Rajan must use it to increase his spice growing as its pump allows a continuous and tireless power source. Even though he's dead, Clockwerk is still alive. I noticed Rajan has a wooden staff beside him and on top of it is the Clockwerk heart. He must be keeping this part of Clockwerk under constant surveillance as well as the wings,"_** replied Bentley. Sly turned to Gohan and nodded.

"Whatever the case, we need to get both the wings and the heart. If so we just might be able to cancel out Clockwerk's construction completely", said Sly. Gohan nodded in agreement.

"OK then, onward and upward", replied Gohan. Bentley overheard them and knew that the time of action was now.

"_**If that's so, then good luck guys. Operation Stealth begins now!"**_

With Bentley's voice echoing into the distance, Gohan and Sly entered the party, exiting Rajan's room and closing the door. Making sure that they had left everything as it was, the two thieves walked round the walkway and down the stairs, joining the crowd of guests mingling around in their packs. About one third of the guests were on the dance floor and from the looks of it, the cops from Interpol were separated so to not alert suspicion.

Gohan took note of this and nudged Sly, catching his attention. "What is it?"

"Carmelita and Videl are separated. I suggest we do the same so we don't attract any attention. As soon as the song comes on I suggest you take your lover to the dance floor, it might just be enough to attract everyone's attention away from the Clockwerk wings", instructed Gohan.

"I agree with you there", replied Sly. "I suggest tango that ought to get everyone's attention for a few crucial minutes."

Gohan smirked, knowing he was going to enjoy this. "Deal."

Splitting up, Sly and Gohan began making their approach for the two cops in their sights, making sure to stay among the crowds as best as they can. It would be stressing if they were to be caught out in the open where they would be exposed to the inevitable.

Meanwhile, Neyla, who had made her way up onto the walkways around the entire ballroom was watching the crowds below when she noticed two suspicious acting guests. Though it was quite unnoticeable for an ordinary person, she was able to spot this out and followed both guests with her sparkling green eyes. For one, the pair had recently split up and second of all, they were progressing through the crowds rather rapidly, obviously trying to get to separate locations. It soon dawned on her that she had seen them before and she had a feeling she knew who they were. The thought made her smirk.

"_Ahh, Sly and Gohan hmm? I suppose they're here for the Clockwerk wings and for something more",_ she thought, quickly seeking out both Videl and Carmelita in the crowds. She had noticed earlier that the two of them had displayed unusual actions towards the their obsessive targets, mainly from Carmelita as she was with the vixen at most times. Every time she went to see Carmelita in her office she managed to spot the female looks over a picture of Sly with a rather dreamy expression and on more rare occasions, caught Carmelita day dreaming which was not a usual mood for the vixen. This was saying something. _"I'm guessing they want to get to their girlfriend's. This should be very interesting for Interpol."_

Unbeknownst to the rest of the crowds and guests, Neyla slowly made her way back down from the walkway and pulled out from behind her a hidden camera. It didn't have a flash and it was quite small, but it still printed its pictures there and then.

* * *

Making his way through the crowds, Gohan slowly approached Videl, seeing her standing by the statue and admiring it. She was too caught up in her observations she failed to notice Gohan come up beside her. Smiling at the beauty standing beside him, Gohan reached up and lightly tapped on her shoulder, making the raven haired girl turn sharply towards her. She was a bit off putted for being interrupted so rudely but all her anger washed away when she recognized who it was standing before her giving her one of his handsome smiles.

"Good evening Miss. I hope this pleasant weather and party is up to your standards", said Gohan in a gentlemanly like voice. Videl blinked a couple of times in shock then smiled, nodding her answer.

"Yes of course it is kind sir", she replied, her eyes shifting sharply from left to right to see if anyone had noticed her before returning her eyes back to her mate. Still staring at her, she spoke through their bond.

_((What are you doing here Gohan? Other than that… how did you get in here? Only high classed guests and official members of Rajan's cause are allowed in))_ she spoke through their bond. Gohan shrugged.

_((Apparently security is light and that Rajan has forgotten that anyone with a tuxedo is allowed in)),_ replied Gohan. Videl sighed and shook her head, running her hand through her hair.

_((Well I guess that's understandable. But anyway, I'm sure you're just here for the party, because any other reason would be either turning your self into the authorities or you're here to see me))_ said Videl, a loving smile crossing over her lips. _((Why else would you be here?))_

Gohan straightened his bow tie then extended his hand towards her and clearing his throat. "Why ruin the moment. I was wondering Miss Videl if I may honor you with a dance", replied Gohan, his left hand out and his right held behind him. Videl glanced down at his hand and, hearing the proposal and the gesture, she smiled and accepted his offer. Grasping his hand in hers, she looked back up at him with sparkling blue eyes that showed not only her loving affection but also her willingness to dance with her partner.

"Mr. Gohan I shall gladly accept", she replied in a whisper so to not alert the attention of any lingering eyes or ears. With a bow, Gohan led Videl out onto the now empty dance floor, the music in the background dying down to a stop. At this, every patron and guest on the dance floor exited, making dancing space for both Gohan and Videl. Coincidentally enough, Carmelita and Sly joined the two on the dance floor making the pair not the only dancers.

Exchanging brief nods, Sly and Gohan led their dance partners into position and took them into their arms. Both thieves chose their preferred styles, Sly took Carmelita's hand in his, curling his fingers around her gently and wrapping an arm around her waist. Carmelita used her free hand and draped it over Sly's shoulder, gripping him in a way only a skilled dancer would use. Gohan and Videl took a different starting stance to them. Standing at arms length away from each other, Gohan used his left hand and gripped Videl's right. This made Videl smile in mischief as she positioned herself for the start of the music.

_((The Son special… something as sensuous as this should surely turn some heads))_ said Videl in a playful tone of voice. Gohan smirked and nodded.

_((That's the main idea my love…))_

The tango music in the background erupted suddenly and in tone with the music, the dancers began. Sly led Carmelita into the basic triple slide forward followed by Carmelita's lead while Gohan pulled Videl towards her, twirling her and pulling her against him so that her back pressed against his chest and his arms were curtained over her slim waste and midsection. Videl purred seductively into his ear and Gohan breathed in her sweet scent. At that, the dance went under way.

Twirling her back out and in beat, pulling her back in, both their front pressed against each other. Gohan kept his land hand gripped in Videl's and brought her into a painfully slow dip, her left leg sliding in between his as Gohan's free hand ran down her side. Videl gasped in the sensations she felt at his touch and after bringing her head back up to gaze into her mate's longing eyes was pulled back up sharply with Gohan's hand firmly rested on her hips and her hand wrapped around his shoulder while their hands remained interlocked.

Stepping into her space, Gohan led Videl into their tango movements while she stepped into his space, stepping round in circles as close and as slow as possible at the same time keeping to the beat and rate of the music. The violins in the background were one of the musical instruments groups playing their tone and passing their strings through their ears, giving them their beats and raising their instincts on tango. The scent of romance hung in the air.

Sly and Carmelita stepped to the beat, literally, all the while keeping a steady pace and line. Both dancers took the lead and both experienced their partner's lead. Their movements were stepped up, sensuous and blended. First Sly would take the lead and then Carmelita the next. The vixen would moan in satisfaction as her dance partner blew her away with his close and hot moves. She would feel exceptionally good when the raccoon would pull her close or dip her where her leg would rub up against his thigh and his to hers.

Pulling away slightly but still keeping close to the other, Sly took the lead again and performed three more slide steps, taking Carmelita with him who followed suit in perfect formation. Stopping at the end of the slide steps, Sly and Carmelita pulled back and threw their heads back in unison, a movement performed sharply at first before slowing into a sensuous movement. Carmelita then took the lead and spun them around, slide stepping three times and both of them repeating the same head throw back as before.

Spotlights had accompanied both pairs as they danced and the music quickly grew louder so that it no longer was in the background of the talking going on through the crowds. It was these changes in the atmosphere that led to the attention getting of the guests formulated in a circle around the dance floor.

The crowds were immediately drawn towards the scene both pairs were issuing. They were right now the centre of attention as the crowds, audience and guests had spaced out just enough to allow the much needed room for both combatants. What appeared to be a competition between the two was in fact an elaborate ruse however the spectators didn't know this. All they knew was that they were so captivated in the show that they assumed that it was just two couples enjoying themselves.

Leading, Gohan quick stepped into Videl's space from left outwards forward to right inwards and then left inwards forward again and then right sideways forward movements, all the while keeping his partner close. Videl back stepped and followed her partners lead and after those quick slide steps that went for about six times, he stopped and dipped her, only pulling her towards him and downwards so that she was dipped over his left, her side rubbing against his muscular torso. As soon as she was dipped and well supported, Gohan pulled her back up and twirled her before dipping her once again but this time over his right the same way he had done with his left.

Videl moaned low and looked up at her partner, eyes half-idled and a seductive smile on her face. She licked her lips in anticipation. "Delicious", she whispered.

Gohan grinned and, pulled her up, began to move in tone with his partner, allowing Videl to take the lead. Stepping back and switching sideways pout for pout, the two stopped back in the centre of the dance floor and turned to face the side, Gohan's head turning left and Videl turning right sharply. Shaking their heads from side to side the two then slid forward, their interlocked hand held outwards while Gohan's hand was wrapped around his partner's waste and Videl's hand held against his shoulder.

The two moved fluently forward before stopping and, in unison, threw their forward placed knee upwards and then kicking, their heads dipping back before they lowered their legs back down slowly. On contact with the floor, they turned and slid back in the opposite direction, Videl taking the lead and, upon reaching the end of their triple slide, surrendered her lead to the superior dancer and allowed herself to be twirled five times before stopping and tilted back into a dip.

The crowds awed at the sight and a simultaneous gasp was heard. The same went for Carmelita and Sly when the raccoon twirled his partner and dipped her. The music died down slowly, signaling the end of the first part of the song and allowing both pairs to catch their breath.

Rajan, who was still sitting on his throne nodded in a sign of how impressed he was at the sight of both the dancing pairs, being mostly intrigued by Gohan and Videl's dancing for the pair was standing in the centre of the dance floor with the light shining down upon them. Ironically, Jean Bison happened to be standing beside the spice Lord and allowed Rajan to speak with him.

"That young man is quite the spirited dancer", said Rajan in his humble Indian accent, rubbing his chin in interest. Jean Bison nodded, his staff held firmly in his grip.

"Yeah, I bet he'd make a fine addition to the spice traders", replied the Bison rather loudly. Rajan hissed venomously at his criminal partner and stomped his foot.

"Grrrhhh… Silence", hushed the tiger in a less easy tone of voice.

Meanwhile, unknown to the crowds, the guests, the cops and Rajan, the statue standing in the room was suddenly stripped of its royalty when the Clockwerk wings donning disappeared behind it and out of sight. The cause of the disappearing wings came from a very subtle and pleased pink hippo who carefully and quickly brought the wings back up to the roof by giving it a swift tug and the robe winch he had installed above in the skyline quickly retracting, carrying him and his prize up into the roof above. Rajan would never know till the party had ended.

Sly and Carmelita gasped for breath at the end of the first part of the dance and smiled at each other, the vixen running her hand through her hair and giving her partner a mischievous gaze. "My, my, my stranger, what's a man of your stature doing with a step like that", she asked in a whisper.

Sly grinned, his teeth flashing. "I believe the answer lies in my heritage ma'am", he replied. "Care for another round?" Carmelita smiled and ran her hand over his chest.

"How can I deny an offer that has been lived up to its name more then once?"

Gohan smiled down at Videl and, in one swift movement, removed his tuxedo tails jacket and tossed it over his shoulder, at the same time reaching into the suit and pulling out a red rose, extending it toward Videl in his gentleman like ways. Both he and his partner were sweating slightly but weren't panting. The heat of the room as well as their dance was acting like a heater.

Videl smiled in acceptance and took the rose, putting it in her hair before running her hand down Gohan's side and capturing his left hand in her right again, lifting it and pressing her front against his.

"Care to blow me away again love", she asked. Gohan grinned and wrapped his hand round her waste.

"With pleasure", he replied. As soon as the music erupted again, both pairs exploded into movement and the second to last part of the dance began.

Stepping twice into Videl's space, Gohan dipped her and pulling her up sharply, stepped in a circular motion round her, Videl standing where she was and, her hand still connected to his, felt as he circled around her so to be positioned behind. Suddenly, she felt the professional dancer grip her hand and pull her back, the position of her arm to his spinning her as she was pulled towards him. In one swift motion, Videl had her chest firmly pressed against Gohan's and his arm around her back, pulling her to him. Videl's head had dipped back into a moan as she rubbed her right leg against Gohan's inner leg and running a few quick stroke, stomped her foot back onto the ground as Gohan pushed her outwards and she took that move as the sign to step back. She did and with their hand still connected, they paused about arms length away from each other before pulling themselves back towards each other, making contact chest to chest, doing a quick pose before pulling back once again. They repeated this three times while moving in a slow circle until on Gohan's forth lead. The young Saiyan pulled Videl back towards him and had her back to him again, his hands wrapped around her at her side and stomach.

Videl gasped at this and glanced over her shoulder to see Gohan smiling devilishly at her as he took her into a close back to front step circle. Both dancers moved their legs in exact formation from left to right, left right then right left and right left. All the while, Gohan took in his partner's scent and warmth, her skin silky to the touch. Videl on the other hand basked in the sensations she felt from being so close to her mate as she had not felt this kind of attention for months since they last danced at a ball held in Paris in honor of the mayor.

Sly and Carmelita continued on with their part, performing swift kicks, a slide step then a infused stomp. Carmelita took the lead and repeated this with her partner again, their movements designed to bring them closer in body and soul. Both dancers took advantage of the opportunity presented to them through tango and expressed their affections toward each other through the dance and feeling pleasure they had not felt for a long time. Like they say, it takes two to tango.

During the dance, Sly pulled Carmelita close and leaned his muzzle close to her ear and whispered. His tone was so flirting like it transformed the candle light inside Carmelita into a blazing fire that ignited her instincts and blood. "My angel of an officer sure knows how to dance", whispered the thief. Carmelita giggled and blew on his ear.

"Something I learned from a long line of experience and practice love", she replied. Sly smiled and pulled into the lead, keeping both of them to the beat. They performed the three slide step moves, the slide, pout then slide move again. All the while through these brisk and close movements Sly allowed his partner to repeat the same moves and movements then allowing him to lead again. He would never forget the moves, two quick twirls then lean into her, dipping her back then pull her back up so she can take the lead. A sliding step, a quick stomp and a swift knee and kick combo while tipping their heads back in motion. A flourished kick to follow the next formation followed by a quick slide then a stomp again.

During this time, Sly looked back at the statue Rajan was sitting before and saw to his eager eyes that the Clockwerk wings were gone. He later averted his gaze to Gohan and Videl to see how they were dancing. He was astonished to see the movements the pair used in this, especially since he had never seen them dance before. They appear to be naturally equipped for it and have formulated their own tango. It was amazing almost. However, not getting too caught up, Sly went on to prove himself to his girl that he knew the steps and that he could dance just as skillfully.

The end to the music was nearing and both pairs knew this, deciding to end it in a spectacular formula. Gohan and Videl in the mean time would kick off all the stops and perform the dance they had made.

Stepping side wards from left leg to right then doing a spin together, Gohan slowly dipped Videl, allowing Videl to linger in their dip for a moment and rest before pulling her back up. Once she was up, Videl advanced on her partner, making him back off in anticipation, their hands separating in these slow, sensuous movements. As Gohan backed off in their dance and Videl progressed forward, she waved her hips seductively in her stride and beckoned him towards her with motions made by her hand, a mischievous smile on her face. A few more steps back and Gohan stopped, Videl walking into his chest and raising her right foot back while pressing her front against him and allowing him to encase her in his arms.

Giving his mate a approving expression, Gohan gripped the lacewing round her back and arms and gave her a light push. The girl disengaged and back stepped, twirling at the same time. Because Gohan was gripping a certain part of the silk like lace wrapped around her, it made the girl twirl as she backed off and stopped when her lacewing ended weaved in her hands. Gohan smirked when he saw her stop and with a slight tug pulled her back. The girl repeated the same steps she had performed while backing away only this time approached Gohan, stopping firmly grasped in his arms with her chest back against his.

Sly and Carmelita were still dancing gracefully to the music and were as close as ever. Carmelita twirled on the spot with Sly helping her along the ends, stopping shortly afterwards and falling into Sly's arms with the raccoon taking the lead once again. A triple slide step backwards for Carmelita was followed shortly by a quick dip and brought back up, their hands still interlocked. It was a heated moment for the two, but it was not to last.

With the end of the song coming in quickly, Gohan and Videl finished it off. For the last final steps, Gohan led on, stepping into Videl's circle, forcing the girl to retreat. Gohan led her into three slide steps and with Videl retreating to these and after that, Gohan twirled her, the girl moving in a circular motion round him before ending the move and the twirl by landing dipped by Gohan's side, the young Saiyan supporting his mate, Videl's right leg wrapped around his left and with Gohan staring deeply into her eyes. Carmelita and Sly ended as well in spectacular fashion with the two of them doing a infused spin and Sly finishing off by dipping Carmelita, posing firmly and keeping their stances.

The finale couldn't have been any more perfect and with the subsiding of the music, the crowds erupted into applause. Rajan too applauded the dancing couples and stood up, his cane in his arms with the Clockwerk heart still attached to it. All other sound was drowned out by the applause and whistles thrown by many of the guests and as for Murray and Bentley who had been watching through either the rooftop of via camera were also amazed by the show and congratulated Sly and Gohan for their efforts.

_**"Go Sly and**_ **_Gohan… well done",_** clapped Bentley through their ear pieces silently.

TO BE CONTINUED…


	16. The Predator Awakens

DRAGONBALL Z **meets _Sly Cooper_**

_The Predator **Awakens!**_

Pulling Videl back onto her feet, Gohan stepped back and bowed low in a gentlemanly expression and, taking Videl's hand in his, kissed it in affection. Videl giggled and blushed involuntarily, much to Gohan's satisfaction. Standing back up again the young Saiyan gave the raven haired girl a silent nod.

_((Great dancing Videl)), _said Gohan.

_((Thanks Gohan, you're not too bad yourself))_ replied Videl. Gohan raised an eyebrow at her as a mischievous grin crossed his face; one Videl always fell head over heels for.

_((Was that a compliment just for my dancing or for something more?))_ he asked in a seductive tone of voice. Videl gave him a playful shove.

_((Oh you're such a tease you know that))_ replied Videl. Gohan grinned.

"I know."

Meanwhile, Sly was busy complimenting Carmelita on the spectacular dance. The handsome raccoon flirted with his lover, as well as complimenting her on her beauty. That was something Carmelita always loved to hear coming out of his mouth, especially when he used that mischievous tone of his.

"So my lovely Inspector, I hope that the dance was befitting enough for you", said Sly, taking a gentlemanly bow and looking up into the starry eyes of the vixen. Carmelita smiled and placed her hands on her hips, looking her lover up and down. She was more captivated by his looks then his charm but all the same was flattered by his comments and propositions.

"Of course it was Sly, but you know, I am looking forward to chasing you out on the field again. However, I am curious. Are you here to turn yourself in, or are you here to get at the Clockwerk wings", asked the Inspector, her voice now a whisper so to not alert any suspicion. The crowds cheering had died down and conversation filled the air once again.

Sly smiled and shrugged, nodding in the direction of the throne and placing his fists on his hips. "Well, why don't you see for yourself", he asked. Carmelita was confused. But, after seeing Sly's gesture decided to find out what he was talking about and, as soon as her eyes were set on the cat statue with the eight arms standing behind Rajan's throne, she saw to her surprise that the wings were gone and immediately turned back to Sly. She was met with a very devilish grin on his face. The vixen blinked a couple of times and smirked.

"You've had something to do with this, didn't you?" she asked the sneaky raccoon. Sly nodded and fixed up his bow tie.

"Maybe, maybe not. But that's only for you and only you to figure it out for yourself", he replied. Before Carmelita could say another word the room was filled with a loud, roar like yell, silencing the crowds chatter and attracting the attention of Gohan, Videl, Carmelita and Sly. The source of the yell came from the infamous figurehead Rajan. The tiger was on his feet, standing by his throne, and cane in his hand and was looking up at his statue with a mixed look of anger and utter shock written on his features. The Cooper gang wasn't at all surprised but the rest of the crowd of guests was.

"The Clockwerk wings… t-they're gone! GONE!" screamed the tiger. Gohan, seeing the Rajan about to lose it turned to Sly who was standing in amongst the crowds with Carmelita. Sly had turned to Gohan in turn and, reading each other's expressions like books nodded to each other and turned back to Rajan. Before they could move forward, the giant tiger came down from the throne platform atop of the small flight of steps and glared into the crowds. His horde of guests backed up at his glare as he swiftly approached them.

"All right! I know that you are here thief! I KNOW YOU ARE HERE SLY COOPER", growled Rajan. Sly and Gohan sighed in annoyance. Now that their cover was blown they had no chance of getting out as the guards would certainly block the doors. Besides, they were here to stop Rajan and, in so doing, get hold of that Clockwerk heart.

On queue, the pair of them ripped of their outer clothing to reveal their thieving clothes they wore underneath. Pulling out their masks they strapped them on and, with their weapons strapped to their backs and clothes in full check, leapt out of the slowly parting crowd and landed in the middle of the room under the spotlights. In exact unison, both thieves pulled out their weapons, Sly with his symbolic cane and Gohan with his two, golden swords. Both weapons gleamed brightly and their appearance caught the attention of Rajan, the man responsible for the party and owner of the Clockwerk heart.

The purple striped tiger glared daggers at the pair in front of him and stepped forward, his fists balling and his eyes burning with rage. "I knew it", he hissed venomously, a menacing purr sound escaping his lips. Sly and Gohan smirked as they took their traditional fighting stances, ready to attack or defend themselves from attack. The crowds were murmuring among their ranks, puzzled, surprised and thrilled at the events at hand. Carmelita and Videl stood on the edge of the crowds, watching this tense scene unfold before them.

The Tiger king stood up straight as he was leaning forward in his glaring of the crowds and, as soon as he was up, with his cane's end tip pressed against the ground held in his left hand, the tiger pointed a sharp nailed finger at them with his right. His expression may have softened but was still one of anger and seriousness. "You two… you are of the infamous Cooper gang… Sly and Gohan I presume", spoke the tiger in a slow, edged out, angry tone of voice that dripped from his tongue venomously, accompanied by his humble, Indian accent. Gohan nodded.

"That's correct", said the young Saiyan. Sly smirked.

"Someone give this guy the fifty dollar prize", joked the raccoon. Rajan, shaking off the jokes directed toward him grinned and chuckled, lowering his arms back to his side and buffing his chest out to look tough. As a tiger with strength beyond that of the other animals and human breeds around him, he also looked quite powerful as well. If you were to listen carefully, you could hear the faint heart beats of the Clockwerk heart atop of his cane.

"Ha-ha, this is perfect… not only would I get the opportunity to eliminate the Cooper gang, but I will also have the pleasure using my latest acquirement and attribute", said the tiger. Gohan sharpened his glare and Sly balled his fist together around his cane which he held behind him.

"Oh yeah, and what would that be your majesty", asked Gohan in a sarcastic tone of voice. Rajan grinned evilly, his eyes suddenly flashing gold as he brought his cane forward, the Clockwerk heart appearing in front of him.

"This", Rajan hissed, his fangs bore in a nightmarish view. Gohan and Sly's eyes widened slightly in surprise when they saw the Clockwerk heart beating in front of them on top of the cane, an electrical, golden glow issuing off and around it; sparks of the electrical energy zipped in random directions from its source. This forced the crowds to back off to avoid being hit by the lethal bolts.

Rajan laughed and, gripping his cane in two hands pointed the Clockwerk heart towards Sly. In a flash of light, faster then Gohan or Sly could track, a current of high voltage electricity escaped from the fast beating heart, the golden trail striking Sly in the chest. The shot, though did not electrocute the raccoon but had an enormous impact against its target. Sly had the wind knocked out of him upon being hit by the beam of electricity and, a second later, found himself hurled across the room. The crowds parted when Sly suddenly flew back off his feet, threw the crowds to stop only when he hit the wall on the far side.

Gohan gasped in shock and followed his friend to the point where he was thrown off his feet to the point where he was slammed into the wall. His friends form slid down the slightly cracked marble wall before falling flat on his gut on the checkered floor at his feet. Sly found himself unconscious and out of commission. His cane lay beside him, his head on its side and his eyes closed. He looked like he was asleep and was also really bruised in some areas. His clothes were also torn, all from one shot.

Carmelita gasped and rushed forward towards Sly through the crowds. Stopping where the raccoon lay, she knelt by his side and laid a hand on Sly's back, shaking him slightly to try and wake him. Her efforts were in vein when she found she could not wake him. Tears welled up in her eyes in fear that Sly might be really hurt. Gohan, shocked and infuriated turned back to Rajan and dropped back into a fighting stance, his swords held up in defense. His eyes glared up at the giant tiger and his teeth clenched and bore.

"You…" Gohan hissed venomously. Rajan laughed and pulled his cane towards him, the heart at the end still beating and glowing brightly. The same golden light remained in his eyes, accompanying the glow of the heart that illuminated the entire stage and room with a brighter light.

"One rat down… one to go. You know young warrior", said Rajan pointing at Gohan with his clawed hand, "If I were, I'd beg for mercy now. You don't stand a chance of beating me", hissed the tiger. The young Saiyan gripped his swords tighter, a bead of sweat running down the side of his head. He had fought a lot of tough villains in the past and had beaten them all. The problem was that they were all strong and that they all came close to beating him. This Rajan would be no different but Gohan felt something strange. Though this Rajan didn't seem or feel that strong, Gohan felt that the problem was even deeper. It had something to do with the Clockwerk heart.

"What makes you think you can beat me Rajan? I'm stronger then Sly as well as faster then him. Don't underestimate me", growled Gohan. Rajan scratched his chin and nodded before bearing his claws in a threatening manner. His talon like nails shone in the light and his legs parted slightly so that they were evened out to balance his weight.

"That may be true young warrior but you should not underestimate me. I've heard of your strengths and reputation and knew very well that you would be arriving on my turf soon enough. That is why I took special precautions and kept the Clockwerk heart. You see, not only does it have the strength to power my spice factory but it also has the ability to increase my strength beyond even yours as its immortality and tireless effects can do this", said Rajan. Suddenly, a golden glow started to form around him, similar to that of the heart on his cane and in his eyes. More electricity began to move as currents up and down his form, worrying a lot of people about their safety. On instincts, people started to file out, leaving those brave enough to watch behind.

Gohan frowned, more sweat appearing on his forehead. He had a deep feeling in his gut that this was going to get worse before it gets better. "Oh boy", he whispered to himself. Rajan smirked and, balling his fists, suddenly bulked up in an instant. The golden aura around him intensified and, accompanying this change, his muscles and form increased in size, looks and strength. Not only that, his orange fur turned red and his purple stripes turned blue. The vest he wore ripped as his muscles and size increased and slowly, he transformed into a state of almost Legendary Super Saiyan proportions. The heart on the cane was now beating slowly and crackling in red electricity. The aura round Rajan though remained gold.

When Rajan finished growing so that he was about the size of Muggshot except with both big legs and arms, the now humungous tiger glared down at the young Saiyan. Veins throbbed all over his body as well as his energy. Gohan felt the full brunt of it in his mind and was shocked at the results. Rajan grinned evilly. "Now Gohan…witness the full power of the new… IMMORTAL RAJAN", screamed the tiger in a deeper, more metallic voice.

Gohan smirked. "We'll see how immortal you are when I start thrashing you around", stated the young Saiyan.

In one swift moment with yells of anger from both sides, Gohan and Rajan sprinted towards each other, charging at speeds unreachable for most people. The crowds backed off more and watched on intently to see what developments would be undergone by this chain of events. Videl watched on in worry as her Gohan took on this new and improved Rajan. They were to finds that the fight that would soon follow would be an amazing one.

Meeting each other halfway, Gohan and Rajan skidded to a halt at arms length away from each other and, immediately upon reaching each other attacked. Gohan cranked back his left arms and threw it forward…slashing his sword across, up at his opponent. Rajan in turn threw a tremendously powered right hand hook except not in fist form, but his claws bore to add a lethal touch to his blow. Unfortunately his attack was not to land on his opponent but on the sword his opponent threw and, because of his hardened flesh and claws, the attacks both swiped at each other. What effect followed was the brushing of both attacks against each other with the sound of swords clashing echoing round.

After that first attack both opponent's followed up with a full on assault. Gohan kicked it off first and, after throwing that left sword swipe followed up with a step up and, in so doing, threw a right kick up at Rajan's face. Rajan was hit by the kick and backed off. He was rather surprised at the strength of the kick but felt very little damage from it and so, carried on uncaringly. After that kick, Gohan brought his foot back down and swiped out with a right sword slash aimed at Rajan's chest. His attack though was blocked by Rajan raising his muscled, left arm up, blocking the sword's blade that did little or no effect to his arm. When the sword brushed against his arm, it also brushed against the electrical energy crackling across his body and, when it brushed away from the electrical energy a few sparks followed the blades trail, hitting the floor with no effects to follow.

Recovering from his attack, Gohan followed up with his attack and, positioning his sword so that the handle end was facing upwards towards Rajan's face, Gohan stepped forward again, still dropped in a balanced stance and brought his sword in an upward motion, his blade slicing upwards through the air towards its target. Rajan however was faster then Gohan suspected and took a step back, avoiding the attack. The sounds of sword blades whizzing through the air was heard amongst the sounds of crackling electricity as well as the echoing sounds of murmuring and footsteps.

After the follow up attack, Gohan came up with a straight up knee that was supposedly focused for Rajan's chest but after Rajan back up again, Gohan floated forward and, pulling his left foot upwards, brought it down in an axe kick. All of this was done swiftly and quickly, faster then the audience could track. Still, after missing his opponent but having him backed up into the stairs leading up to his throne, brought both his swords up and, at the same time, brought it downwards and struck out at the tiger king.

Rajan was prepared for this and, with both arms, crossed them over his face for defense, blocking the attack that clanged against his arms like steel on steel. Gohan gritted his teeth as he applied pressure in an attempt to break through Rajan's defense. His efforts failed when Rajan, letting out a loud roar, pushed him back, throwing his arms out sharply so that Gohan was thrown away so that he could regain a proper stance.

Seeing Rajan glaring at him with his tiger fangs bared in anger, Gohan decided it was best to put some distance between him and his opponent and so, landed several meters away, dropped in a defensive stance. Before he did so, after he landed, he spun both his swords in his hands expertly and, gripping them in suitable positions, dropped into his stance. With his right arm held forward and his sword held in its original place, he dropped his left arm behind him, his blade held downward while the blade in his right hand was held upward. His eyes glared through the blade, straight at Rajan who was now glowing in that electrical ball he had generated. His muscles sure have gotten big. But having big muscles didn't mean he was that strong. It all depended on natural strength, endurance and control. Even though Rajan controlled this new form of his, he still lacked the natural endurance and wouldn't be able to hold this up for long. From the looks of it, he was having a lot of trouble holding up this new strength of his.

Because of his size, Rajan slipped the now small cane into the belt behind him and, with his hands free, was able to do what he wished now. Spreading his legs out to steady himself. Rajan balled his fists and pulled the back behind him. Standing where he was, his teeth clenched and his face stressed out, the giant king let out a roar and, throwing both hands forward so that the palms cupped together in a almost sideward's Kamehameha position, fired a torrent of electrical energy at his opponent. Gohan saw this and gasped at its speed but had the proper time to react. Standing up straighter so to be in the right position, Gohan held his forward sword or right sword up and tilted the blade. Holding it firmly, the beam of electricity struck his weapons and, amazingly enough, deflected like a laser blast to a light saber. The blast of electricity flew through the air upwards, striking the skyline. The shattered glass fell from the frames that were now melted and twisted and, in so doing, fell to the ground far below.

People screamed in fear and fright. It was after the explosion that followed of the electrical blast striking the roof did it make the minds up of the remaining guests. With their heads ducked and arms over them to block out the falling glass, the people began to flee for the exits. They were gone within seconds and fortunately, no one else was hurt. Carmelita remained at Sly's side, watching the fight while Videl stood by Carmelita. Unknown to them, the Contessa and Neyla were watching on the balcony, both interested and shocked. This was a little more then what they had expected.

Rajan, letting out a growl in being unable to hit his opponent this time, threw his right hand forward, unleashing another, high powered beam at the young Saiyan. Gohan in turn growled, only in frustration as blocking these attacks were becoming difficult. Rajan was proving to be a tougher opponent then what he had expected. Stepping back, Gohan threw up his left sword and blocked the next beam of electricity, the blast striking the ground away from his feet and exploding, leaving an ash mark in its place.

After this failed attack, Rajan threw his left hand forward, unleashing under high powered beam at Gohan. At this one, Gohan spun his right sword in his right hand and, positioning the sword so that it was parallel to the ground and the blade was balanced at neck height, Gohan slashed outwards, the blade of his sword striking at the electrical beam of energy and sending it sideward's, striking the wall beyond him and creating a massive hole. It was this that made Rajan lose control of his anger, allowing his rage to conjure up forth like wind.

Powering up in strength, Rajan's aura glowed brighter and, when he was crackling in his raw energy, began cranking his arms back and throwing them forward, unleashing balls of electricity and sending them at Gohan. His right leg was positioned forward while his left remained back so to steady himself more, allowing Rajan to unleash infinite degree blasts effectively and with better accuracy while maintaining a constant barrage. And that was what he did. Pitching them faster then baseballs, Rajan began hammering lethal blasts away at his opponent.

Gohan growled, his teeth clenched as he bit with effort to block the attacks. Slicing outwards in all angels and with great skill, Gohan cut down all the blasts thrown at him. Deflecting them in all ways possible, the blasts of high powered electrical balls flew in all directions, blowing holes in walls, blowing open doors, destroying pillars and further damaging the glorious throne room. Well, it was no longer a throne room, it was now a battleground.

Twirling his blades around him, Gohan stepped forward and, spinning around, sliced his lades out at the next two balls of energy that came at him. With this motion, Gohan deflected them back at its owner. Rajan, who was charging up another attack was hit square long in both the chest and face. The tiger king screamed in pain as the attack burned on the right side of his face and his left breast, forcing him to grip both those spots with his clawed hands to stop the pain shooting through his body. Gohan grinned when he saw he got the desired effect and, even though he was a bit exhausted from blocking Rajan's attacks, made a step forward and pulled his swords upwards in a defensive stance. He watched and waited, seeing Rajan stagger around the steps of his throne before stepping back down onto the field, falling onto one knee and gripping his face.

The tiger's screaming subsided to heavy panting and soon enough, the giant tiger recovered. With his aura still glowing around him, Rajan looked up at his opponent. Gohan cringed at what he saw. Three bleeding cuts were open around Rajan's eye and he had a devastating ash burn on his cheek. To add to it, he had blisters throbbing above his right eyebrow. It was not a pretty sight and Gohan was sure that his wounds were burning severely now.

Growling and biting back the pain he felt, Rajan got to his feet, his claws bared and his muscles bulging. Gohan, being aware of muscle conditions could swear that if Rajan tensed up more, he was sure that his muscles would pop. He was even more amazed that Rajan was able to endure this kind of stress. His body looked like it couldn't handle the additional power boost now.

"YOU! YOU! I WILL KILL YOU", roared Rajan. In a flash, the tiger sprinted forward, cranking back his right fist over him and preparing to attack. Gohan, seeing this, spun his swords round him and shoved them back into the sheaths on his back before dropping into an additional fighting stance, preparing for Rajan's assault.

As soon as Rajan reached him, the massive tiger sent his fist at Gohan. Gohan however was ready and avoided the attack, leaping in the air and spinning. While Rajan was pulling back his fist, Gohan spun round and sent a left, roundhouse kick at his face, smacking him on his wounded side and causing a shockwave to follow. Rajan let out a scream of pain but, faster then Gohan counted on, the tiger recovered and retaliated. Thrusting his right knee upwards, Rajan struck Gohan in the gut as the young Saiyan was slowly dropping back to the ground. That blow caused a shock wave as well that shook the entire palace. This knocked the wind out of Gohan, shocking him greatly at Rajan's strength. His speed may have slacked but his strength definitely made up for it.

After the knee, Rajan pulled his right arm round and threw it out at Gohan, backhanding the young Saiyan with a combined slash and punch. Gohan was knocked senseless when the attack struck him across the face, sending him soaring across the room before he skidded along the floor and stopped when he hit the wall to his left. On his back and his face sporting a new bruise, Gohan let out a loud groan, his eyes clenched shut as he bit back the pain. Videl was horrified.

"GOHAN!", she cried in fear of him being seriously injured. She wanted to go out and help him but then again, the way she saw it, she had no chance against Rajan. From observing the fight at hand, she saw that he was far stronger and faster then her or Carmelita. Carmelita however was too busy guarding Sly but was, with no doubt, watching the fight with the same look of horror edged on her face. She refused to believe that this… bastard Rajan was able to harm Gohan this way. No one in the world could best the young Saiyan.

Rajan was huffing, but when he saw Gohan get struck down by his attack, he smirked and, trebling slightly stood up straight, fists balled at his sides and a malicious glint in his eyes. He watched as the young Saiyan staggered to his feet and with some difficulty.

"So… is the great Gohan out of gas", asked the tiger tauntingly. He completely ignored the fact that he was feeling a little, well, light headed and sore and concentrated on the fight at hand. He was not going to let some band of thieves stop him in his quest, whatever that was. He only had one objective on his mind, to kill Sly Cooper and his troop.

Gohan, who was now on his feet had his arms hanging at his sides and was panting heavily. He had a real big bruise on his cheek now and his outfit was slightly in tatters. He also looked dusty too, another handicap to add to his injuries. However, as the pain subsided and his energy returned, Gohan balled his fists and his sides and, letting out a yell of rage, powered up. In an instant, his golden aura burst up around him in full force, accompanied by golden bolts of electricity and the changing of his hair. A bang hang across his forehead, accompanied by a single strand of hair as his hair lightened up to a sort of whitish color and his aura steadied itself into a gentle flame and not a vortex formation like his Super Saiyan 2. He was not in his ascended Saiyan form though; he was in the first level.

The golden light lit up the entire palace throne room, its light shining against almost everything it touched. Rajan was shocked, just like the Contessa and Neyla but Videl and Carmelita were just surprised. They had seen Gohan transform numerous times in the past and had identified each of his transformed states but every time he did transform to any of the levels, he would always astound them in some way.

Floating a couple of feet above the ground with his fists balled at his sides, Gohan glared through his aura at Rajan. His aura, not a flame anymore as he was still in a powering up state, flared around him, his clothes and hair waving in the winds generated by his transformation. As he stared at Rajan, the giant tiger backed off in fear and shock, his eyes wide.

"W-What is this", demanded the tiger, feeling the winds lick at his face and the dust blow off the floor and around him. All of these cataclysmic events were caused by Gohan from the shaking of the room to the high winds of his energy. "I-I have n-never seen this before! What trickery is this!?"

Gohan frowned and glared at his opponent. "This is something you will never understand my friend", hissed Gohan. Before Rajan could react, Gohan shot forward and, up hurling dust in his wake, reached his opponent in a split second sharp. Rajan was shocked and, just as he was leaning back in avoidance, Gohan sent a right punch straight across his face. The blow was devastating, forming a shockwave on impact. Though the blow was not enough to knock a major amount of damage into the target of Gohan's attack, but it sure was enough to stall the slightly dazed tiger.

Zipping through warp speed, Gohan vanished into thin air and reappeared above his opponent. Seeing the cane belted behind the tiger, Gohan focused all his attention on the slowly, beating heart. In one swift movement, the young Saiyan dived down at it, his left hand reaching out for the metallic component and one of the primary pieces belonging to Sly's enemy. His hand clenched around the object and, in one tug, pulled it free from its holding. However, the effects that followed were immediate and shocking.

As soon as Gohan gripped hold of the object, he was suddenly cut down by an explosion of electrical energy bursting out from the heart itself. The throbbing of its metal surface was felt against Gohan's hand as well as the shockwaves from the electrical energy. Letting out a yell of surprise, Gohan clenched his eyes shut and was about to pull up to avoid what was to come, only to meet the explosion at point black range. In a ball of fire and electricity, a catastrophic explosive force followed, shaking the earth and almost throwing Carmelita and Videl off their feet. The Contessa and Neyla shielded their eyes from the fiery explosion and peered through the gaps to try and get a glimpse of what had happened. For Gohan, what should have felt like an ordinary ki blast when fired from a long distance felt like a hydrogen bomb had exploded in his hand! Before he knew it, all he could see was darkness as he was hurled across the room and into some unknown barrier, the pain subsiding and turning into sweet relief.

After the shockwaves and light had subsided, the group present heard a horror filled scream and another, smaller explosion to follow as if something had crashed and a small structure had collapsed. Upon hearing this, Videl looked round the entire room to see what happened and, aside from the crater formed in the ground before her as well as a huge cloud of smoke, saw a pile of rubble falling and a cloud of dust rising from it. Not finding Gohan anywhere, Videl let out a horrified gasp and ran forward towards the rubble, a deep feeling in her gut telling her that Gohan was under that rubble. When she reached the rubble she knelt by it and started taking all the rocks and boulders, pushing them aside as she dug in to try and find him. She was unable to do so when she heard a loud yell behind her and looked around.

Everyone present was startled beyond belief to find that Rajan, the tiger that was no longer in possession of the Clockwerk heart was now, still conscious, having not found any trace of him before. Though he was staggering and looking more bruised then ever, he was still looking tall and strong. Carmelita got to her feet when she saw the tiger still alive. She thought that he was already a goner. So did the Contessa and Neyla. This was a completely unexpected turn of events.

"Why… you…! I may not have the heart… anymore! But I still have the strength… to kill all of you", growled the tiger agonizingly, dropping into a fighting stance. Even though he didn't have a weapon or his power booster aka The Clockwerk heart, he still looked quite strong.

However, just as he was approaching Carmelita, he was suddenly aware of a shadow growing larger at his feet and, after noticing this, looked up. Her gasped when he saw a pink, balloon like object plummeting towards him.

"THUNDER-FLOP", yelled the object, the pink balloon landing on top of Rajan and crushing the larger tiger underneath its weight. That pink "object", about the same weight as an anvil turned out to be Murray, the strong arm of the Cooper gang, and perhaps the savior of Sly. When Murray landed on top of Rajan, the tiger found himself flat on his chest and face on the ground, the massive hippo lying on top of him. However, as soon as Murray landed, the hippo leapt away and stood at Rajan's side, dropped in a heroic fighting stance.

"STOP FIEND! 'The Murray', shall not allow you to hurt these people!" yelled Murray, pointing down at Rajan and doing a series of poses. Rajan, shocked and perhaps knocked senseless staggered back up to his feet. His already bruised, battered and sore form was piled on literally by more pain. The hippo's sudden drop in was unexpected and perhaps one of the most highly improbable things to have happened to him. Aside from being half beaten by a full fledged Super Saiyan, it was being crushed by a 380 pound hippo bucking for bat man.

Having finally regained his footing but was standing a slumped position, Rajan glared daggers up at the hippo standing before him, his fangs biting down onto each other and his claws twitching to grab hold of his new attacker. Carmelita and Videl watched in surprise as Murray bravely stepped toward the tiger, his chest buffed out and gust sucked in. The hippo hadf more guts then they had given him credit for. The Contessa and Neyla meanwhile, were not impressed.

Pointing a shaking hand up at Murray, Rajan growled. "You foolish hippo. Do you really believe you can beat me? I'm the strongest here. Even without the heart I can flatten you right now!" Murray smirked and did another fighting pose, his eyes glaring at Rajan through his goggles.

"I do. To 'The Murray', you are no more then a mere kitten. Now, prepare to face the muscle of the Cooper gang as I shall flatten you!" yelled Murray. Rajan chuckled and dropped into a fighting stance.

"What's this stupid 'The Murray' thing hmm? All I see is a fat weakling. You want to see strength? Then prepare to face my wrath. Your strength against my all mighty tiger claw technique", declared the weakened tiger. Now that Gohan had softened him up a bit, there was a chance that Murray would succeed. But that would all depend on how strong Rajan naturally was and how strong Murray is now.

Letting out a thunderous yell Murray took a boxing stance and swiftly, sprinted over to his opponent. Rajan in turn approached Murray and, cranking back his right arm over his head, sent a devastating slash at the hippo. By this time, Murray was able to counter that move and leapt over the attack aimed downwards at his feet. In so doing, after landing, Murray sent a powerful punch aimed at Rajan's unguarded face. Rajan was hit full force from the blow but because of his size, endured and absorbed the blow. This prompted Murray to push on, the hippo sending more hooks, punches and uppercuts aimed at Rajan's upper body. It was by the third punch did the mighty tiger begin to feel the effects of the blows and was slowly pushed back.

Avoiding one of Murray's misguided punches, Rajan cranked his left fist back before sending it forward in a straight on punch. Rajan's strength may be good but his speed definitely lacked. Murray was hit by the punch but the blow made no real damage. The hippo merely grunted from the blow and returned full force, only this time, to counter with one of the moves Gohan had taught him. Clapping his hands above his head that created a small shock wave to follow, balls of fire appeared around Murray's fists. Upon receiving these new weapons, Murray pulled his right fist back before sending it straight into Rajan's face that was hunched forward. The blow was perhaps more of a shock to the spectators then to Rajan as the punch that connected squarely between his eyes sent the tiger staggering back in pain and from the force of the blow. Gripping his face momentarily, Rajan suddenly toppled backward, falling flat on his back and his arms falling to his sides. When his hands were moved from his face, a new wound formed. His face now looked like it had been set a light.

The instant Murray had sent that final punch aimed at Rajan's face, the flames on his knuckles died and when he saw Rajan collapse and lose consciousness, the hippo cheered. "YES! 'The Murray' emerges triumphant." Noticing that his foe was unconscious and no longer present at the moment Murray pushed aside his poses, scratched his head and placed his hands on his hips.

"Hmm… guess he dropped out on me. Oh well", Murray concluded, letting out a sigh. "Maybe next time I'll get my chance and… o-oh!" The hippo stopped speaking when he was suddenly overcome by a giant black widow and a purple tigress. Their shadows cast over both Murray and Carmelita and Sly who were stationed behind the hippo. Sly was still unconscious and Carmelita was still watching over him. But now, a sudden darkness was dawning over her at the sight of the Contessa and Neyla.

The Contessa, glaring down at Murray with her glowing red eyes smirked and turned to Neyla beside her. "Well Constable", the Contessa said with a smile, a strange soothing but tinged evil accent spiking up from her throat. "It appears that I have underestimated you. Not only have you caught Sly Cooper, but you have also brought down the spice lord Rajan. I'm impressed", congratulated the black widow. Neyla smirked.

"Why thank you Contessa, I do my best", replied the tigress with a evil grin. Murray and Carmelita looked up at the pair in surprise and confusion while Videl continued digging trough the piles of rubble in the background.

Nodding, the Contessa turned back towards Murray and, unexpectedly, threw her hand into the air. "INTERPOL FORCES, move in!" yelled the black widow. Surprised by this Murray looked up, left and right to suddenly see along the walkway of the ball room and emerging forth from the door and windows, swaths of Interpol Special forces and Prague prison guards emerged, all of them armed with deadly weapons. The Riot Interpol police mostly consisted of humans who wore shock proof armor as well as a motor cycle like helmet and were armed with M16 assault rifles. The Special forces of Interpol were a breed of anthropomorphic German shepherds, wolves and of course humans as well. These guys wore SWAT uniforms and were armed with automatic/pump action shotguns and IMI Desert Eagle's. The Prague guard forces were a group of anthropomorphic vultures armed with automatic crossbows and wearing chains to signify their belonging to the Contessa forces.

The immediate appearance of the guards and police forces made Murray gulp in nervousness. He now doubted that he would be able to survive this and gave up, raising his hands above his head in defeat. His expression told all. Carmelita however still kneeling beside Sly and was looking fearfully around at the Interpol forces. If she was suspected of being in league with Sly, then she was done for. Videl was also caught off guard by the appearance of the Interpol forces and, giving up in digging was forced onto her knees by a pair of Prague guards.

The Contessa smirked and turned toward Videl as did Neyla. The pair of them stared at the pile of rubble as the Interpol police forces moved in to arrest Sly and Murray. It was when Sly and Murray were chained up when the Contessa turned to Carmelita. The black widow smirked and nodded toward her. "And you Miss Fox, I'm afraid that because of this evidence against you", said the black widow, raising her right hand and showing her a couple of photos of her dancing with Sly and making Carmelita gasp in disbelief, the Contessa pushed the photos back into her pocket and pointed at her. "I'll have to place you under arrest for being a sympathizer and a member of the Cooper gang. Sergeant, arrest her", ordered the Contessa. Before Carmelita knew it, the vixen was pinned to the ground with her hands behind her back and in hand cuffs. She was then chained up with Sly and Murray. Sly meanwhile was regaining consciousness and was to be brought down by grief at the state he, his friend and his lover was in.

Seeing Carmelita, Murray and Sly on their feet and guarded by a group of her guards, the Contessa then turned to Videl who was also placed in handcuffs. Feeling little pity towards her, the Contessa gestured her guards to take her to join Sly and the others. They did so and forcefully marched the raven haired girl over to the group of thieves. After Videl was moved from sight, the Contessa got a good view of the pile of rubble. It was this pile of rubble she suspected that buried the now dead Gohan Son. Sensing no other alternative or way Gohan could be alive, the Contessa turned back to her forces and ordered them out the door.

In the minutes that followed, darkness fell over Sly and the gang. Though they may have succeeded in taking down Rajan, they did with a price. They were now in handcuffs and Gohan was dead. Videl, who could not sense her beloved Gohan was now broken hearted and in grief. Though she refused to believe that he was dead, the Contessa and the others pressured about the matter. Within the half hour, the entire palace belonging to Rajan was locked down, and with the Cooper gang and Rajan himself thrown behind bars, it looked like the curtain had closed.

It was only to be lifted by the appearance of Bentley, who watched his friends be dragged out of the palace and thrown into armored trucks, ready for processing. The sight made Bentley's heart sink.

* * *

**Cooper gang:**

_Sly Cooper: 1,500_

_Murray: 1,950_

_Bentley: 325_

_Gohan: 200,000,000_

_Super Saiyan Gohan: 400,000,000_

**Klaww gang:**

_Dimitri: 1,000_

_Dimitri (ring laser): 5,000_

_Rajan (base): 2,150_

_Rajan (Clockwerk heart power boost): 215,000,000_

_Rajan (Weakened): 1,350_

**Interpol:**

_Inspector Carmelita Montoya Fox: 1,100_

_Inspector Videl Bideru Satan: 1,200_

_Constable Neyla: 950_

_The Contessa: 1,000_

**Other:**

_Rat thugs: 150_

_Toad thugs: 100_

_Boar Spotlight guards: 200_

_Nightclub guards: 175_

_Mercenary solider(s): 250_

_Rajan's guards: 300_

_Interpol Police: 200_

_Interpol Riot Police: 1,000_

_Interpol Special Forces: 1,000_

_Prague guards: 250_

TO BE CONTINUED…


	17. Jail Break

DRAGONBALL Z **meets _Sly Cooper_**

**_JAIL BREAK!!_**

_**Bentley's thoughts…**_

"Though highly improbable, Sly, Murray, Carmelita and Videl were unexpectedly arrested and were now under the escort to Prague prison by the Contessa and her forces. It was impossible; everything was performed step by step by the book, apart from the sudden attack made by Rajan that surely changed the events to follow. Meanwhile Neyla, having somehow acquired the evidence of Carmelita and Videl being partners to Sly and Gohan headed back to France to report this ironic turn of events to her superiors. I had never been so shocked, angered and saddened in my life. Now that two of my best friends were under arrest and we were separated, I felt totally outclassed."

"But then there was Gohan… poor Gohan. I refused to believe it, but there was no doubt that he had perished in the battle against that monster Rajan. From what I saw, the look on Videl's face when she walked out of that palace was completely shattered. She of course, as well as Sly, Carmelita and Murray were hauled off out of Rajan's city and towards the surprisingly massive convoy waiting for the Contessa's return. Neyla's jet for France was already waiting for her and as soon as the group arrived, she was out of their, disappearing shortly after into the night sky."

"From what I remembered, me and my friends had never been separated in our lives, nor have suffered the pain of loss. I think the same thoughts were running through Murray and Sly, but from what I'd experienced, I assumed that Sly was taking it the hardest in our group. Gohan was Sly's first ever friend and they have stuck together with us through thick and thin, never parting from us for a second. We all contributed a great deal towards the group and have helped each other out in many ways. Being the brains of the outfit, I did not stand much of a chance on the physical view of situations and was definitely not up much for fights or field work."

"I had to get my friends out of their predicaments and save them from a horrible fate!"

"Gathering whatever I had left, I loaded up the van with the Clockwerk wings, packed up our gear and, with hope flowing through my veins, headed back to Rajan's palace. Sneaking by the ruined security systems and bypassing the newly placed Interpol guards, I headed into the ballroom. I had to find out for myself whether Gohan was dead or not. I was hoping strongly that Gohan was still alive."

* * *

_**Inside Rajan's palace**_

_**The ballroom…**_

It was dark in the room, seeing as that it was still night time and the grounds were sound and quiet. The state of the ball room had a lot to be spoken for as it was ridden with battle scars after the thunderous clash between Gohan and Rajan. Craters lay scattered across the checkered floor, the golden statue was cracked with a couple of its arms sliced off, the roof was as bad as the floor with the signs of it about to collapse, the elaborate drapes and pillars either torn, cracked, burnt or riddled with holes and there was debris and rubble lying around everywhere.

A cold breeze blew through the large room through the open windows and holes made into the walls leading to the outside world. This atmosphere was definitely perfect to conclude that the ball room was a barren wasteland after a furious battle… a graveyard of a battlefield. But, as it this place was still fresh from all the celebrations and had just been removed from cleanliness, not a rat stirred nor did a spider spin its web. Aside from the full extent of damage, the room was still freshly scented. All was quiet. However, this silence and coldness was interrupted by two Interpol Special forces police officers entering the midst of the room via the main entrance.

Bypassing the police lines set up around the palace, the two guards split up. Armed with torches, Heckler and Koch G36's and Desert Eagles in their holsters, the two guards started patrolling the bal room, making sure no intruders had entered or any more changes have been made to the room. Their torches shone through the darkened room as they carried on. One of the guards was a German shepherd while the other was a human. Both of them, though fully armed and equipped were unaware of the assassination attempt targeted towards them.

Under the crosshairs of a sniper scope, the human guard was unaware of the danger he was in. Completely caught up in his scanning of the entire ballroom, they failed to notice a familiar green, glasses wearing turtle stationed atop of a nearby building. Just as the guard had stopped and was checking his watch, he was suddenly hit full force and a echoing gunshot rang all around before vanishing.

Thud! The German shepherd guard heard the shot, followed by the falling of a body close by. Wheeling around, the guard saw his comrade lying flat on his face on the ground, a hole through his head and blood leaking out onto the ground to form a bright red puddle. His weapon and torch lay useless on the ground beside him. Sprinting forward to see what had happened; the German shepherd crouched low and loaded his weapon, looking around wildly while huffing nervously and threateningly.

Bentley, who was sitting on top of the building across from the palace, was looking down the length of a scoped German Mauser Gewehr 1898 model rifle or Kar98 for short. Though it was a heavy weapon, it was beautifully made and super accurate and could get an accurate shot to 1200 meters, adding to the fact why Bentley favored the WWII rifle. Also, it was cheaply manufactured with an outstanding record of service and easily bought off the black market. He had brought it along for this special occasion as well as his crossbow. It too was accurate and well made but didn't have a good firing rate for it needed to be reloaded for every shot fired; plus it wasn't built with a proper targeting scope or had good stopping power. One thing was for certain, his cross bow was more of a side arm then anything.

Smirking, Bentley pulled the bolt up and back, emptying the entry cartridge before pushing the bolt back into position, a new round loaded into the weapon. He couldn't help but chuckle in amusement to how confused the remaining guard was. Before he fired his last round, he whispered, "Too easy", before he fired his round. The bullet zipped through the air at 800 feet per second before hitting its target squarely between the eyes. The German shepherd guard was sent falling back, lifting off the ground a good two feet before falling back, dead.

Pulling the bolt back and pushing it forward again to remove the empty cartridge, Bentley pulled the rifle to him and flung it over his shoulder, a smile on his face: Two guards down and lying next to each other, both their weapons lying about useless. The turtle nodded when he saw them both down and moving quickly, pulled his cross bow from its holster on his back and loaded it. With a cable attached to his projectile, Bentley quickly took aim and released his shot, the arrow shooting through the air and through the gaping hole in the wall on the far end of the palace. Upon having his line hooked, Bentley pulled his cross bow and tying it to his belt, gripped hold of it and tugged on it. The instant he pulled it a second time, the retractor attached to the arrow started pulling its cargo forward. Bentley went for the ride of his life as he was pulled off his feet and flew through the air and through the hole in the wall. Several seconds later, Bentley's retractor removed itself from the wall and back to its owner, Bentley rolling across the ground and stopping in the centre in a crouched position. Reaching up with his right hand, Bentley caught the arrow he had fired and, spinning it like an old western, shoved it back into his utility belt. You had to admit, even though he lacked in strength, he was definitely a good shot.

Making sure all his field equipment was with him, Bentley immediately set his sights on the rubble on the right side of the throne platform. Upon setting his sights on it, Bentley sprinted forward as fast as his little legs could carry him, skipping over rocks, debris and rubble before coming to a full stop in front of it. Looking over the rubble that had supposedly buried Gohan, Bentley inspected the damage that had been done. A frown appeared on his face when he remembered witnessing the entire fight over one of his grapple cams, seeing that there was no way Gohan could have survived the explosion. He couldn't help but sob, turning his back on the wreckage.

"Oh Gohan… poor Gohan, how could I have misinterpreted, this was entirely my fault. I should have seen how Rajan would have used the Clockwerk heart to his advantage. If that monster still had the wings then he could have used them to fly. Oh this is not happening… this is not happening", Bentley mumbled and sobbed to himself, sniffing every now and then while he wiped the tears away from his eyes. His sorrows weren't to go on for long though when he suddenly felt the earth start to shake beneath his feet and a loud rumbling begin to echo around.

Looking up suddenly, Bentley turned back to the rubble behind him. He gasped when he saw the rocks and boulders begin to fall and break away. The piles of rubble crumbled under the ferocity of the earth shaking and looked as if it could all blow away any second as a sudden aura began to illuminate out of the cracks and crevices. Bentley couldn't have judged any more correctly when the entire pile suddenly exploded into a shower of debris and rocks, a golden aura exploding forth from underneath it and a loud, echoing scream following it. Bentley had to block out the raging hail storm of rocks, debris and the winds, trying his best to keep his face and glasses preserved. It was only a few seconds later when the winds and hail of rocks died out was Bentley able to see what had happened. Peeking round his hands that had served as a shield for his face, he was shocked beyond belief at what he saw.

Standing before him all dirt covered, damaged and battered was a remarkably still intact Gohan. The young Saiyan was standing in a massive crater beside the throne and was hunched over, arms hanging by his sides and was panting heavily. He had a lot of bruises and cuts all over him, a result only achieved by many tremendous training sessions or in this case a big battle. All in all, Gohan may have suffered damage but on the positive side was OK! Bentley was overjoyed and the turtle started hopping around, cheering wildly while waving his hands in the air in delight. Bentley was the first person Gohan saw when he had managed to pull himself out of his predicament and was thoroughly amused at his friend's behavior.

"GOHAN! YOU'RE ALIVE!! YOU'RE ALIVE!! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT", exclaimed the turtle, seeing Gohan stagger forward. Gohan grinned at this, his chest still heaving as he took in raspy yet deep breaths of air. After regaining enough strength, Gohan stood up straighter rubbing his right shoulder with his left hand to ease the soreness. He may be feeling sore all over but his shoulder was the worst. So, deciding to enlighten the situation a little more, Gohan decided to show Bentley his prize. Bringing his right hand up and pointing it forward after his shoulder had stopped throbbing, he showed his friend a giant, metallic heart that was gripped firmly in his palm: The Clockwerk heart!

"Of course I am Bentley. What? You think a little fire would hurt me? It was nothing", replied the young Saiyan, walking forward in a much, stronger form, thrust the heart into Bentley's awaiting arms. The turtle took it eagerly and after studying it for a moment, shoved it into the red pack on his back. He then turned to Gohan, placing his left hand on his waste with his crossbow hanging on his wrist and rubbed his chin in thought with his right.

"If that is so then how come you didn't show up before?" asked Bentley. Gohan raised an eyebrow in confusion, bringing his hand up to take away the shredded mask across his face.

"Why? What do you mean Bentley", asked Gohan. Bentley sighed and shook his head. He didn't really know how to explain this and didn't really want to break in the bad news to his friend. But he felt that he had to.

"While you were underneath all that rubble, Sly, Carmelita, Murray and Videl were arrested by the Contessa and her forces. All four of them are now being taken to Prague prison under the escort of a heavily defended convoy", said Bentley. Gohan was in shock when he heard this. If it weren't for his physical and mental endurance, he would have fainted. Well, he had just recovered from unconsciousness and had recuperated enough during his time of being buried alive.

"What!? B-But that can't be. Rajan… the Clockwerk wings… Murray…Videl! How could…unless…" Gohan scowled and glared out the open window. "Neyla…"

Bentley nodded. "Afraid so Gohan. Unfortunately for them they were arrested because of the photos Neyla had taken of you and Videl, and Sly and Carmelita. All of which was evidence enough to have them all put away, especially Sly and Murray." Gohan looked back at Bentley and balled his fists, holding his right one up in sort of determination. Though he felt angered by the fact that Neyla had a part to play in the arrest of Videl, as well as being frustrated at his weakness of having been too careless in his fight with Rajan, he felt a new found energy over take him. He needed to get his friends out of there.

"We need to save them Bentley. Where are they now", asked Sly. Bentley shrugged.

"Like I said, they are being escorted to Prague prison. I'd hate to think of what horrors would be awaiting Sly and Murray once they reach Prague. Fortunately for us the convoy is on route for Europe and would be arriving in the Czech Republic in a week's time. With some luck, we might be able to catch up with the convoy to bust them out. The only problem is that they are being held in an armored truck which is centered in the amassed traveling garrison! Nothing short of an army can breach that convoy. With us short of our friends, I'm afraid it's hopeless." Bentley sighed in dismay and looked at his feet, his hands at his sides and a miserable look on his face.

Gohan was as upset that his friends were arrested and looked at the ground too. However, instead of being in a state of dismay, he was actually displeased by the situation and was secretly concocting a plan. However, the odds looked grim and the situation was risky as he recounted how powerful Interpol really was. If they were to try and break Sly and Murray out, they'd have to break Carmelita and Videl out too, worsening the evidence against them of being in league with the Cooper gang. But of course, Gohan had no choice. Carmelita was his friend too and Videl was his mate and lover, he had to get them out of there. He'll have to do this the only way he knew how.

Smiling, Gohan looked up at Murray to see the turtle look up at him as well. "Don't count us out yet Bentley. I've got a plan that just might work", said Gohan. Bentley raised an eyebrow and stepped back. He was a little concerned about his safety as the look in Gohan's eye didn't seem to ease him.

"What is that?" he asked. Gohan smirked.

"Let's head back to the van. I need you to crank up some of your magic mixture of gun powder and explosives, and put that mind of yours to work. Oh, and I believe we'll need fire power… lots and lots of fire power…"

* * *

_**Gohan's thoughts…**_

"Alright, now it was time for a little payback. What we began in Operation Skyline back at Rajan's palace, we were to finish as part of Operation Jailbreak. As it turns out, the convoy holding Sly, Murray, Carmelita and Videl was already out of India and was now traveling through the mountains of Russia. It was during this time me and Bentley were able to purchase some much needed materials and supplies before we hit the net to find out what we were up against."

"It took a sleepless night of data crunching, but Bentley managed to find out the full arsenal and all the defenses we would be up against. The convoy heading out of the country was loaded with tanks, armored cars, troop carriers and all the vehicles that could make up an entire battalion. From what Bentley allowed me to study, I was to find that this mission, like many others before it was not going to be easy. Now that we were short two vital team members and best friends, the odds were now stacked in Interpol's favor. Nevertheless, I had to bust them out of there."

"Loading up the van, Bentley and I prepared to go on a hot pursuit. But first things first…Bentley had to learn how to drive a stick shift. I on the other hand had to teach him as I was the field man here and Bentley would have to learn how to drive for a quick escape."

"This was going to be a long operation… but worth it if we were going to break Videl, Sly, Murray and Carmelita out of that hell hole."

* * *

_**Somewhere in Russia…**_

_**10:30pm**_

Traveling down a hard, dusty road, with the rumbling of tanks and heavy vehicles echoing all around, an entire line of armored cars traveling at a speed of 30 miles per hour (not very fast considering the vast armaments) traveled through the vast valleys of Russia, on route for Prague. It was a quiet landscape, and if you were to look closely, you could see snow flakes falling from the darkened, cloudy sky above. The first car in front of the entire convoy was a Rolls Royce Phantom II, a black colored car with a single driver and the Contessa in the backseat, relaxing and enjoying a nice glass of champagne. What was to follow it was to be the full armament of vehicles traveling at their present speed and course.

The next car following the limo was a troop carrier carrying an entire squad of Interpol soldiers, its appearance taking the basic form of a WWII truck. After that, two half tracks wielding anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapons and also loaded with squads of their own came thundering after. Next to follow was a heavily armed Panzer IV tank, with two motorcycle units accompanying it on either side. The drivers of these motorcycles were heavily armed Special Forces Interpol officers, enforced with a MG42 stuck on a tripod in the centre of the handle bars of their bikes. The next vehicles following the tank were another two troop carriers, an American M-24 halftrack with a quad 50 caliber anti-airs and troop gun in the back compartment, two German WWII jeeps, and another tank. Then came the main prison car holding Sly, Murray, Carmelita and Videl captive: a silver plated and thickly defended truck with two guards sitting atop of it. As it past, another tank came trudging after it, followed by two motorcycles, three more troop carriers, two jeeps, and finally a German halftrack with an anti-tank gun attached to it.

This entire armed force was just descending down a not very slopped mountain side along the wide road strong enough to support even the heaviest of vehicles. All troops and Interpol forces were on full alert for anything out of the ordinary and it was their job to make sure that the precious cargo they were transporting made it back to Prague. However, they were soon to discover that nobody could keep the infamous Sly Cooper away. Like most thieves, he had friends in high places.

Speaking off which, on another road running alongside the mountain a couple of stories up above the road the convoy was traveling on, a familiar blue, heavily armed van with flames painted on its sides and the symbolic Cooper battering ram in place quietly followed the Interpol convoy. At the wheel sat a averagely confident Bentley and looking through a binocucom in the passenger seat of the vehicle was Gohan. Having recently fully recovered and wearing a brand new thieving gi that was still of the same color and form, Gohan watched through sharp eyes as the convoy slowly trudged along. Bentley did his best to keep the van steady and was only keeping his eyes on the road ahead of him rather then beneath him. Every now and then he would ask Gohan for updates on the situation and whether the young Saiyan had spotted the vehicle holding Sly, Carmelita, Murray and Videl prisoner. As of yet, he had no such luck.

Lowering his binocucom, Gohan glared down at the traveling cars below, his eyes flashing turquoise in displeasure. He had taken in the vastness of the armed forces and also took note of the various weapons hooked up and ready for immediate use. Though he had realized that this was going to be tough, it would be even tougher since they had to get Sly, Carmelita, Murray and Videl out of there in one piece and out of harms way without getting hurt. He had to!

Bringing the binocucom back up to his eyes, he looked up and down along the line of armored cars. It was amazing that neither of the Interpol soldiers or troops on watch had spotted them yet. But maybe it was because that they were up high and out of sight. It was also possible that they hadn't been spotted yet because of the extra quiet engine the van had. Murray had taken the liberty of upgrading the vehicle so that it suited their and his purposes. The only noise audible was the slight purring of the engine which was heard inside the van, not on the outside.

Just as Gohan was looking over the armaments of the Panzer tank he had in view, he suddenly caught sight of the vehicle he had been looking for and after he had the silver truck in his sights he grinned, enhancing his view on the protected vehicle. It was one of the vehicles that mostly stood out of all of them and was the only vehicle where the protective convoy drove around. Plus, it also had two guards on the roof of the vehicle, as lookouts or for extra defense. Either way, they had to be removed.

Lowering his binocucom, Gohan tapped Bentley on the solder and pointed ahead of him through the windshields. This certainly got the turtle's attention as he intently looked in the direction of Gohan's finger. "What is it Gohan? What do you see?" asked Bentley. Gohan narrowed his eyes on the vehicle so that it stayed in his sights, not to mention that it was at such a great distance that the truck could disappear round the corner any second.

"There, that's the truck that's holding Sly, Murray, Videl and Carmelita. There's no question that Interpol would use the heaviest and most durable vehicle they have on the force… an ATHD M1. I've seen them before, they're real tough to crack", said Gohan. Bentley spotted the vehicle on the road below within the large convoy and nodded. Looking back up toward the road ahead of him, Bentley slowed so that they fell behind the convoy and then ran over the plan he had formulated with Gohan, making sure the young Saiyan understood.

"Alright Gohan, we already know the full force of what we will be up against but I also need you to understand that this mission must be properly and precisely executed. We must get to that truck within the set time otherwise our friends would definitely be put into an acute repercussion", said Bentley. Gohan nodded, listening for his friend's instructions. Bentley saw his friend listening and continued, knowing that he wasn't talking to a wall, although, there wasn't much of a difference between Gohan's durability and a wall.

"Now, first of all we have to get rid of those tanks. I'll use my RC chopper to take them out. Once their heavy armaments are down, we can take care of those half tracks, although it would be useful if we can get rid of them during the time we're taking out the tanks. You can man the turret on the top of the van while I drive our way through the remainder of the convoy from the rear after we've destroyed their tanks. Now your job is simple, get onto that truck, break through the roof, get our friends out and get them into the van. Mission accomplished", said Bentley, slapping his right hand on the wheel in triumph. Gohan nodded.

"Right!"

Bentley smiled and, changing gears, gripped the steering wheel tightly and revved the engine. They could feel the engine roar with unspeakable hoarse power. Bentley's look became determined and focused, just like Gohan's. The young Saiyan waited for instructions as the van began to pick up speed.

Bentley then turned to Gohan and nodded toward the back of the van where all the van's computers, weapons, supplies and equipment were stored. Gohan looked to the back of the van and then back and Bentley, nodding. "Load up that twin 50 cal and get ready. We'll be hitting the 'T' junction in a few seconds. Get me my RC Chopper"

Gohan nodded in response and rushed over the seats and into the back of the van. First thing was first; the young Saiyan quickly loaded the 50 caliber machine gun through the hole in the roof, attaching the chains of bullets to both the loading chambers on either side of the gun. Murray had recently modified the weapon after the Clockwerk incident, allowing the weapon to fire simultaneous rounds without overheating. Once the heavy anti air and tank gun had been loaded, Gohan headed to the supercomputer built into the side wall of the van and, pulling out one of the crates stashed underneath the desk, took out Bentley's RC Chopper and remote. With both electronics loaded, Gohan ran back over to the front of the van and passed Bentley his equipment. The turtle immediately took it upon seeing it but turned back to look ahead of him, seeing the 'T' junction approaching. Gohan used this opportunity to get back to the turret and get into position. One thing was for certain, they were heading into a major battle.

Clambering up the ladder hanging from the ceiling of the roof of the van beside the hole where the turret was, Gohan got into position. Upon climbing through the hole, sat on the edge of the hole with his legs inside the van and pulled the turret towards him. Pulling back the bolt of the machine gun, the 50 cal clicked into life, ready for action. While Gohan was making sure the chain of bullets were still attached, the young Saiyan felt the van turn right into the road the convoy was heading down and looked up. At the exact same moment, Gohan saw a small, model chopper of a Black Hawk helicopter fly out the front driver's window of the van and float up into the air, its blades spinning fast and giving it momentum and movement. It seemed to continue floating upward, only to fly ahead of them. Though Gohan found it impossible for something so small to go so fast, he figured that with Bentley's brains, he could make it do what he wanted it to do so he let it slip.

Gripping the handgrips of the turret and pressing his fingers lightly to the triggers in a firing position, Gohan to aim on the convoy of vehicles ahead. He hadn't practiced much at the turrets, but he had become quite adept to minor weapons.

* * *

The two guards on top of the armored truck were too busy talking to each other to really notice anything. Of course, they were both elite Special Forces guards and had volunteered for this job. Armed with M16 assault rifles with tough body armor on that could stop a twelve gauge round, they had little to fear. However, what was coming their way would certainly change their perspective on things and show that not all things can be stopped with a mere firearm and body armor.

Hearing a distant sound of a chopper, the two human guards atop of the truck looked up and around them, the wind of their surroundings licking at their hair even though the rushes of the wind tunnel they were in on top of the vehicle didn't faze them at all. It seemed impossible that they were able to hear anything what with the rumbling of the other vehicles and engines but this new sound was different and so sharp that it was impossible to miss. They had been up here for hours and were able to recognize the sounds of all their trucks and armaments and they certainly did not have a helicopter.

After looking up at the dark, cloudy sky above and into the trees of the forests surrounding them, they then looked toward the back of the truck and saw on the horizon what looked to be a small, green chopper heading toward them, its flashlight on and lighting it up like a Christmas tree. The two guards, though surprised, stood up and pulled forward their weapons, ready to fire. But when they saw the chopper pass over them without firing a single shot, they assumed that it was no threat. They also took into account that it was a small, toy sized model with no firepower whatsoever and had nothing to worry about. How wrong they were…

Watching the chopper swiftly pass over their heads, the two guards turned around and watched the chopper fly above their convoy, on route for some unknown destination. They had to squint as the winds blew at their faces fiercely and the size of the chopper made it hard for them to follow.

Their confused thoughts on where that chopper was headed were answered when they suddenly saw two green balls of energy drop from underneath the chopper and an explosion soon followed. A fiery column shot into the sky, lighting up the entire area. Pure black smoke issued out of the fire, and shards of metal plating's flew through the air accompanying it, burnt or on fire. The guards on top of the truck were shocked as they watched their Panzer IV escort explode before their very eyes. The two motorcyclists riding on either side of the tank let out terrified screams as they were blown away with the explosion.

The drivers of the vehicles behind the tank reacted quickly and veered away to the left and right. The halftrack unfortunately drove into the explosion and when it emerged on the other side, it had huge chunks of the tank stuck in the front of it and was on fire. A second later, the American half track exploded, its passengers disintegrating in the explosion. The German half halftrack along with one of the two troop carriers were unlucky. When they veered out of the explosions path to the left, there happened to be a cliff in that direction. A whole squad of twenty soldiers in the troop carrier, as well as the other ten in the halftrack met a quick death when the two vehicles plummeted over and into the ravine.

The prison truck managed to veer to the right easily, but unfortunately did not throw the two guards on the roof off. This managed to throw them out of their shock and, realizing the danger the RC Chopper presented, cocked their M16 assault rifles and opened fire. Passing the bellowing flames of what was left of their tank defense, the guards had to follow the small chopper carefully, firing semi-automatic rounds and trying to shoot it out of the sky. The blazing bullets however zipped past the chopper, Bentley using his expert navigational skills to maneuver it out of harms way.

The guards continued firing at it as the chopper made a dive toward them, forcing them to duck. When it had passed them, they wheeled around and aimed the crosshairs of their weapons at the rear of the chopper. They were about to fire their weapons but were thrown backwards when a second explosion occurred, the tank behind the truck bursting into flames and exploding a second later. They had failed to take note that the RC Chopper had taken a dive bomber's approach and had destroyed the tank easily before the heavy vehicle could react.

Staggering back to their feet, the two guards who had lost their rifles in the explosion regained their bearings and pulled out their Desert Eagles from their holsters, looking back at what had happened to their tank. They found its remains lying in a fiery, smoking crater, the vehicles behind it wheeling round to the right to avoid it and the cliff. After what the drivers had seen before, they did not want it to happen to them.

Now, things were about to get hot…

* * *

The Contessa, who was sitting quietly in the backseat of her limo still enjoying her drink suddenly heard an explosion and spun around in her seat. Behind the vehicles following her car, she saw a column of flame leap into the air and light up the sky in bright orange and red, burning debris and huge chunks of metal from what she recognized was her tank that went up with the explosion. Though she didn't know what was what, she was shocked, her red eyes wide and her mouth agape.

Commotion sprang up instantly, and a second explosion followed, another pillar of flame leaping into the air beyond the Contessa's view. She quickly concluded that they were under attack, and she had a feeling she knew who.

Frowning, she stood up in her car and glared on the horizon to where the truck holding Sly and the others were. The Contessa clenched her claws and furrowed her brow in annoyance.

"Why am I not surprised…?"

* * *

Out from behind the first tank that was destroyed which was just a pile of scrap metal and a burning crater, the blue Cooper van wheeled round the obstacle and came speeding from out of the cloud of smoke, its head lights on and engine humming rather loudly as it sped along to catch up with the convoy. At the wheel was a night vision goggle wearing Bentley and on top of the van at the heavy turret was Gohan. The young Saiyan had his eyes fixated on the road ahead as he prepared to unleash his barrage on the slowly upcoming convoy.

Bentley, having recovered his RC chopper could now fully concentrate on the task at hand, and with the tanks destroyed and half of the convoy's strength lost, they could now, easily make their way forward. Seeing the rear half track through the windshields after they had passed the second tank's remains, Bentley shouted his warning. "Here we go Gohan! Get ready!"

The van cut through the wind like a bullet, the convoy ahead of them getting closer and closer with each passing second. And then, they were within striking distance. Sharply turning to the left and carefully avoiding crashing into the rear halftrack, Bentley kept his eyes on the road ahead while Gohan let loose a barrage of devastating gun fire. The 50 caliber machine gun's rounds erupted like cannons, the tat-tat-tat of thunderous fire raining down upon the rear and right hand side of the halftrack Bentley was driving by. The convoy had picked up speed amidst the first two explosions and this fight was taken from 30 miles per hour to 80 in five seconds flat.

Reacting to the chaos that had sprung up, the Contessa's troops moved into position, the squad in the back of the halftrack being bombarded by heavy machine gun fire taking their places by their quad gun and preparing it for battle. The instant the gunner was in the seat of the anti-tank gun he took aim and loaded the weapon by pulling back the leaver beside him. When the resounding clicks of the gun loading sounded, the gunner fired.

Repeated claps of the heavy weapons ordinance was fired as burning orange bullets zipped through the air and straight for the van. Bentley, seeing the gun activate and fire, swiveled out of the bullets' path. Unfortunately some of the heavy caliber rounds fired by the enemy gun grazed and chipped at the van's surface. However, as this van was specially made from extra resistant poly fiber and shock absorbing chassis, the van was but slightly scratched. Gohan had to keep up with Bentley's driving to keep the enemy vehicle in his sights as he continuously sent rounds and pierced the halftrack's armored hull, which by now was looking like cheddar cheese.

Many of the troops inside that halftrack were brutally shot up and sent into the next afterlife, leaving the remaining few to handle the Cooper van. However, as the damage extent upon their vehicle was now greater than the average count of the halftrack's life bar, it was close to being destroyed. Gohan, seeing smoke beginning to rise out of the front of the halftrack as Bentley sped the van up so that they were ahead of it, the young Saiyan moved the halftrack's hood into his sights and with a medium burst of fire, pierced the engine. Instantaneously, the halftrack exploded, piece of debris and metal flying everywhere. Screams and the sounds of explosions filled the air as Gohan watched a couple of burnt troops bail out before the German halftrack lost control and fell off the edge of the cliff, the flaming wreckage vanishing as the fireball it was.

Smirking, Gohan swiveled himself and the turret around so that it was facing in the same direction of the van and watched as the two jeeps before the halftrack he had just destroyed close ion. He could hear Bentley cheering in the front seat, the turtle being highly amused at the thrills and the excitement of the situation. If Gohan didn't know better, Bentley was enjoying his first time at the wheel and, more likely, right in the heart of the action that was taking place.

"OH RIGHT! GO GOHAN! Take that you fascist bastards!" shouted Bentley enthusiastically. Gohan couldn't help but chuckle. Loading his heavy machine guns again, Gohan prepared for his next targets, which were the two jeeps. Already the passengers of this grey, heavy armored vehicle were already laying down heavy machine gun fire on the Cooper van. Bentley was once again forced into a swiveling ride, throwing Gohan's view of his targets off. Focusing hard enough, Gohan was once again able to get the two vehicles in his sights again. Immediately, Gohan let loose his fifty caliber rounds, the bullets punching holes all across the two jeeps. The two vehicles swiveled sharply at being hit but returned to the road, the passengers of the cars rather shaken from the force of both the bullets, and the sharp turning by their drivers.

Gohan returned to the task at hand and, pulling the triggers again, nailed the jeep closest to the edge of the cliff. After several more shots as the jeep was far weaker then a halftrack, the grey vehicle on the left burst into flames, the passengers unable to bail out in time as the flames consumed them, frying them in seconds. A few more seconds later the entire jeep exploded, sending debris and shrapnel everywhere. The jeep on the right had to move to the right to avoid the blast's radius while Bentley swiveled out of the newly formed crater's way. The van was soon back on course on Gohan could finally get back to shooting.

"Watch out Gohan, troop carriers coming in!" shouted Bentley in warning. Gohan squinted ahead to see where this new threat was coming from. After seeing the remaining jeep speed up, he saw three trucks come out from the mists head, loaded with troops and soldiers. These three new vehicles greeted the Cooper van with lead and projectiles, heavy machine guns blazing away accompanied by anti-tank fire that took the form of Panzershrek (A bazooka like weapon) rockets.

Gohan saw this and fired out of pure instinct, Bentley sharply turning left to avoid the rockets as they exploded in the path where they once were. But that didn't stop the incoming bullets from the troops in the back of the vehicles as they continued firing rifle rounds, heavy machine gun rounds, pistols and much more. Fortunately with Bentley and Gohan's calm and collected moods, they proceeded with ease. They had been through far worse scrapes then this and were able to keep a clear head.

After returning to the bumpy road, Gohan finally was able to get a clear shot when the troops reloaded their weapons and, aiming for the centre truck and rotating to assault the other two partially, Gohan made short work of the troops in the trucks. Agonized screams and howls were heard from the Interpol troops he took out, sending them into oblivion and riddling them with holes. After continuous fire on the centre troop carrier that had started to speed up to escape and get ahead of the other two, it suddenly exploded, just like many other vehicles before it. The remains of the vehicle scattered all over the place, sending the upcoming troop carrier on the left over the edge of the cliff. The driver had tried to avoid both the Cooper van and the explosion but inevitably killed him and his men. Two trucks down, one to go.

Speeding up, Bentley drove the jeep ahead so that he came right next to the remaining troop carrier, allowing Gohan to continue hammering the vehicle. Within moments, the two vehicles were side by side, exchanging lethal gun fire. The remaining troops in the back of the truck who were still rather shaken at having half their squad cut down, fired blinding through the thin sheets of their truck's hull and toward where they suspected the van to be. This proved futile as the troops themselves were swiftly gunned down by Gohan's sharp and accurate rounds bursting through the walls of their carrier/ Even though the young Saiyan couldn't see through the sides of the truck, he could sense them out, giving him good, well placed shots. Now that the squad was down, that left the driver and his passenger to deal with.

Bentley had driven the van at a speed which was neck and neck with the truck on his left. Looking in that direction, the helmet wearing turtle could see the driver and the passenger of the truck clearly, both of which were wearing SWAT uniforms with helmets on their heads. Because they both wore face visors, Bentley could not tell who they were except that they were Interpol Special forces. Whatever the case, they were enemies.

After the two drivers' had exchanged glances the driver driving the troop carrier turned right, hammering and ramming the Cooper van. Gohan was nearly thrown off at that and Bentley almost lost control. The turtle growled in frustration and brought the van back into submission. The troop carrier moved away but came in again, ramming the van mercilessly. This one was much more forceful as it sent the Cooper van more to the right, forcing it into the side of the mountain. Sparks flew as metal and rock scraped against each other when the Cooper van came in contact with the cliffs making up the side of the mountain beside it. Once again Bentley pulled the van back onto the road before further damage could be inflicted on the van. He would soon find that only a few scratches were made.

Seeing the troop carrier pull away and prepare to ram the Cooper van again, Bentley took action, seeing as that Gohan couldn't fire as the proximity of the Cooper van and the troop carrier were too close for comfort. This prompted Bentley to turn to a trusted sidearm.

Pulling out from under his holster, Bentley drew a Webley and Scott Mark IV, a very trusted weapon used in the British military. Pulling back the hammer with his left hand while keeping his right hand firmly on the stirring wheel, Bentley took aim with the revolver and took well placed and careful shots toward the driving compartment of the truck. Because it was an auto loading revolver, Bentley didn't have to pull back the hammer to fire again and emptied his weapon on the driver and passenger.

The two troops didn't know what hit them and within seconds, were dead at the wheel of their vehicle. The driver slumped over the wheel of his truck, causing a chain reaction. The truck made a sudden, sharp turn to the right, the vehicle tipping over and rolling across the road as its speeds were too great. The Cooper van was spared from the line of danger as Bentley had sped up in an effort to avoid the truck. At this point in time, Bentley was sucking in deep breaths of air to compose himself while Gohan looked behind him to watch the truck roll along the road before bursting into flames. Once again, a pillar of fire launched into the skies, lighting up the surrounding in orange and yellow. Gohan whistled.

"Wow…"

Bentley, who had pulled his left arm back, retracting his extended sidearm arm sighed. He would have said the same thing but he was just too shocked to say anything. Never had he ever been in such close quarters with two people like that before and he certainly has never used his sidearm before. He was rather startled none to say the least at how powerful his pistol actually was. It had no recoil whatsoever, but the rounds were able to punch through steel.

Shoving his revolver back into his holster, he eased the van back onto the road and, with only two more obstacles in his path, continued their trek for the prison truck. Gohan brought himself back into reality and cocked his heavy machine gun again, moving it so that it face forward and looked down the length of the barrels, awaiting their next targets. A coupler of seconds past and soon, two motorcycles came into view, making Gohan sit up and look at the motorcycles precariously. After studying the vehicles for a moment, Gohan grinned and looked down through the hatch he was sitting on and addressed his friend.

"Bentley! Ram those two motorcyclists, our van will rip through them easily", shouted Gohan. Bentley, seeing that Gohan was right and that the van had a mounted battering ram, giving the Cooper van the capability to knock obstacles out of their path, nodded and hit the accelerator. The van sped off with a burst of speed Gohan never knew the van possessed and shot toward the two enemy vehicles.

In one swift movement, the two motorcyclists were battered off the road and sent left and right, their vehicles being run down by the Cooper van. The two riders, though battered and unconscious, were alright, but posed little threat now. Bentley cheered at this and with no more obstacles in their path, sped the rest of the way toward the prison truck, the backdoors emerging forth from the mists with the trucks tail lights and soon enough, the whole vehicle. Bentley was forced to slow down to even out with the truck as he brought the Team van a couple of meters behind the truck, the van's lights forming circles against the rear of the prison truck.

Once the van had evened out, Bentley turned round and gave Gohan the signal. "Now is the chance Gohan! Get in, and get our friends out!" shouted Bentley. Gohan, hearing this nodded and, after pushing the gun back into the interior of the van stepped out of the hatch fully and stood on top of the moving vehicle. With his golden swords strapped onto his backs and his outfit fully secured along with his mask, the young Saiyan took in a deep breath and, in one, strong leap, jumped from the van to the prison truck.

Landing with a loud thud on top of the truck, Gohan crouched low and quickly scanned the surface, seeking out his friend's ki's through the roof. They were definitely inside no questions asked. But now was not the time to dwell on how to make an entrance, he had to get in and get them out fast before more reinforcements arrive. Now that Sly was a captive of the Contessa's wrath and that he was the only working field man, he only knew one way of getting in.

Fisting his right hand, Gohan cranked it back before sending it into the roof of the vehicle, not to hard and not to light, just enough to punch straight through the thick plating's so it didn't cause a shockwave. With his fist through, Gohan pulled it out and, gripping both sides of the fantastic hole he made, ripped the metal apart, forming a hole large enough for him and his friends to fit through.

After formulating his entry and escape route, Gohan leapt into the vehicle and landed with a light thud, in a crouched position on the cold floor of the back of the prison truck. When he landed, he looked up and around him. The interior of the truck was pretty basic, thickly plated, empty and silver, just like the outside. However, in the corner of the truck closest to the front was a box containing an assortment of weapons and up against the left wall of the truck was a line of very familiar figures. Chained up against the wall, side by side was Sly, Murray, Carmelita and Videl. As soon as he laid eyes on the four of them, he saw the startled expressions on their faces, their eyes wide and mouths agape in evidence.

Smirking, the young Saiyan stood up and folded his arms over his chest, looking from one face to the other. It took all his will power not to burst out laughing at their gob smacked expressions. Shaking his head, he looked back up and smiled. "What's with the faces? You all look like you've seen a ghost…"

Sly blinked in shock. "G-Gohan…" the raccoon stammered. Videl also blinked, shaking her head a couple of times before looking back, making sure she wasn't imagining things.

"Gohan!" Murray and Carmelita were speechless and remained silent. Gohan smirked and nodded, reaching up and rubbing the back of his head with his right while dropping his left back down to his side.

"The one and only", the young Saiyan replied. All at once the faces of Sly, Murray and Videl lit up while Carmelita just stared in surprise and bewilderment. They would have surrounded the young Saiyan by now if they weren't chained up so just resulted to using expressions to express their happiness of seeing him here and more amazingly… alive!

"GOHAN! IT IS YOU", exclaimed Murray, shaking his cuffs and rattling the chains that held him back. Sly grinned, his eyes wavering in happiness to see his best friend alive and well.

"What do you know", the raccoon plainly said, hiding his shock and amazement and replacing it with silent joy. Videl however couldn't help but laugh. After all this time, she thought he was dead. But out of the blue, the truth came out that he was alive and well. It was incredible, even she couldn't believe it. She had a feeling he was alright.

"Gohan", she whispered, her eyes welling up with tears of joy and love. Gohan smiled and nodded to each and everyone.

"Hey guys, it's great to see you're alright. But there's no time, we have to get you out of here", said Gohan. Quickly, the young Saiyan rushed forward to them before they could say another word. The first person he freed was Sly as he was the closest. Snapping the cuffs with his fingers from wrists to ankles, Gohan went along the wall, freeing them one by one. When Gohan freed Videl, he was immediately embraced by the raven haired girl and returned on instinct, returned her hug. They stood like that for several seconds then broke away, staring deeply into each other's eyes.

"I should have know you would come", said Videl silently. Gohan smiled back and caressed her cheek gently. He could feel the warmth of her body against his and he knew for a fact that he would never get tired of it. She was a big part of his life that he would never want removed… ever. He loved her too much.

"I will always be there for you Videl… I would never leave you hanging like that", said Gohan. Videl smiled and nodded.

"I know you won't", she replied. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Videl pulled Gohan into a deep, heated and tender kiss. The two embraced and marveled in those few seconds, feeling the warmth travel over their bodies at being together again before they were interrupted by Sly, Carmelita and Murray. The two broke away and shared a slight blush before averting their attention away from each other and toward the other three.

Sly smirked and, having collected his cane from the crate at the front of the truck, flung it onto his shoulder and smiled at Gohan, placing his hand on his hip as he watched Gohan and Videl separate. "So Gohan, care to tell us how you survived that fight with Rajan", asked Sly. Murray, who had had his gloves confiscated and slipped them back on while Carmelita reclaimed her favored shock pistol, the buzzing of her weapon coming to life was heard as she shoved the ammo clip into the chamber in the handle.

Murray nodded toward Gohan in anticipation. "Yeah Gohan, tell us. I really would like to know", said Murray.

"It's hard to believe that you could have survived such a devastating explosion Gohan. We thought you were dead", said Carmelita, twirling her pistol in her finger before shoving it into her holster. "How tough can you get?"

Gohan rubbed the back of his head in flattery but thumbed up into the hole he had created in the roof of the truck. The vehicle was still moving as the shaking and rumbling of the heavy truck was all the evidence they needed to tell that they were still on the move.

"Listen, I'll explain everything after we get out of here. Lets go", shouted Gohan. Not needing to be told twice, the group left one after the other: First Carmelita, then Sly and then Murray; all of the filing out post haste, leaping through the hole in the roof. Before either Gohan or Videl left, Gohan had strolled over to the crate and, fishing out Videl's pistol and ammunition belt, tossed them over to her. She caught it with a nod of thanks and after strapping the belt round her waste, loaded her pistol and leapt out of the truck. Gohan followed, making sure nothing was left behind but the Cooper gang calling card.

* * *

Back on top of the truck, Gohan and his reunited gang of friends prepared to board the Coop van. But because they were still moving, it would be a dangerous task. Carmelita and Videl, who were still wearing their dresses from the ball at Rajan's palace, found it a little bit hard to move, but would eventually get the hang of it. As of this moment, the prison truck had evened out and was now crossing vast valleys, the Cooper van still pursuing it.

Moving to the rear of the roof f the truck, Sly looked down at the passing road, only to find Bentley at the wheel of the Team van. Murray, Carmelita, Videl and Gohan joined the thief and were rather surprised. They hadn't expected Bentley to be in the field… driving the famous Cooper van. Apparently, all of them knew that Bentley couldn't drive. Sly, Murray, Videl and Carmelita looked over at Gohan in surprise. The young Saiyan shrugged and pointed out Bentley in the front seat who was now looking up and waving enthusiastically at his friends while keeping his right hand on the steering wheel.

"It took a couple of days, but he's getting there", said Gohan with a amused expression on his face. It suddenly turned serious and he nodded down toward the roof of the Cooper van. "Look, we can't deploy a walkway or anything so we'll need to jump. Ladies first!" The four previous prisoners nodded at Gohan's plan and, with the men backing down, Carmelita and Videl stepped forward. With the assistance of their mates, Carmelita and Videl jumped down onto the van, making sure that both truck and van were traveling down a smooth surface. If it were a rough road, then they'd get thrown off.

When Carmelita and Videl disappeared through the top hatch of the van, Murray moved forward and, with one careful leap, landed on the roof of his van. As soon as he had done that, he swung into the front of the van via the open passenger side window, taking his seat beside Bentley who was concentrating on keeping the van steady. When Murray, Carmelita and Videl were on board, Bentley poked his head out the window and waved for Sly and Gohan to hurry up.

"Come on you two, time is running short!" shouted Bentley. He wasn't sure they were able to hear him, but because they had worked together for a long time, he was sure they would have heard him. He received a sign that they had heard him when the two thieves nodded before they turned to each other. Sly nodded toward the van below.

"You go Gohan, I'll go next", said Sly. Gohan nodded in response and was about to leap down when he suddenly sensed a dark and familiar presence behind him. Sly sensed it too, as well as hearing the clanging of feet against a cold, metal surface. On instinct, the two of them spun around and directed their attention toward the object of their senses. They both gasped in surprise when they saw the Contessa standing before them, her spider like form towering over the both of them, shadowing them beneath her.

The black widow smirked and folded her arms over her chest. Because she had claws and not hands, it look awfully peculiar but not for her. She glared down at the two thieves with red, hate filled eyes. The winds that licked at the three of them didn't faze them one bit and failed to distract them. The Cooper van remained behind the still moving truck and the passengers within that vehicle were able to see everything going on atop of the truck. Bentley was rather surprised to see the Contessa while Murray was fuming.

"I'm sorry… but this is a dead end", said the Contessa in her haunting, symbolic tone of voice; a grin plastered on her face. Her voice failed to shake Gohan and Sly as the two of them stood up straight and returned the Contessa's glare. Gohan balled his fists at his sides while Sly drew his cane, twirling it in his right hand before lowering the hook down. The two of them who were standing side by side in their familiar glare poses, created a heroic like image in the eyes of those who were watching the events taking place; especially Videl and Carmelita. Murray and Bentley just watched with blank or angered expressions.

"Contessa", Gohan hissed. Sly lowered his head, his masked face darkening in the shadow created by his blue cap. The straps of his mask waved violently in the winds, flickering in the direction of the winds.

"A little bit too over yourself, aren't you Contessa", asked Sly sarcastically. The black widow chuckled through closed lips, creating a muffled laugh, something that suited her quite well. However, she stopped laughing and scratched her light blue chin with one of left claw, her spider feet tapping against the truck's surface as she slowly approached the pair. Gohan and Sly made no effort to drop into defensive stances and just listened and watched the Contessa's movements.

"As a matter of fact no", she replied, placing her right claw on her hip. "I knew that your friends would make an effort to try and remove you from my clutches. I'm impressed, I didn't think that your technology was able to beat my armaments", she continued. Gohan frowned and crossed his arms, keeping his glare and focus in check.

"With the right equipment and resources, who would fail against you", asked Gohan. The Contessa sighed and rubbed her forehead as if trying to compose herself. Being the tough Interpol officer she was, as well as a well trained psychiatrist, she knew how to take a whole lot of mental and offensive punishment.

"Unfortunately…" she murmured, looking back up at the two of them with her arms folded over her chest once again. "But like I said, this is a dead end for you… as you will soon discover. I have reason to believe that all of you are on the quest for the Clockwerk parts. I would just like to point out that you will not succeed", said the Contessa. Gohan and Sly looked at each other then looked back at the Interpol warden.

"And why is that", asked Sly uncaringly. The Contessa smiled and, reaching into her dress pocket, she pulled out a metallic, high definition device with two globes. Or, that's what it looked like. The objects did however ring a bell for Gohan and Sly as they immediately recognized the orbs to be…

"The Clockwerk eyes", the pair of them said in disbelief. The Contessa nodded and, pulling them up to level with her eyes grinned, a strange light crossing over her expression that promised trouble.

"Yes, another piece you two are looking for. But like I said, you'll never succeed. You see… these eyes allow me to change the personalities of others if applied to the right apparatus. But in my hands, I am untouchable. My metal fatalities are far greater then your own", said the Contessa. Her glare turned into a leer as her eyes flashed brightly in the light of the Clockwerk eyes. "If you want them, then come and get them", she hissed.

Gohan had just about had enough. Stepping forward, the young Saiyan made a reach for his swords but he was stopped by Sly when the young raccoon held an arm out to cease his friend's movements. Gohan was surprised by his friend's actions but understanding the situation by reading Sly's expression, reluctantly lowered his hands and stepped back. Sly had a serious and determined expression in play, his eyes flashing with mischief and a grin imprinted on his lips.

"Don't worry. I'll handle her", said Sly. Gohan was skeptical about the situation but he stepped back, deciding to watch to show and see how this would turn out. The Contessa grinned wider at this as she felt her victory draw nearer. However, she was soon to find out that underestimating a Cooper was a big mistake.

"You… fight me?! Why that's very nice but I'd prefer to fight someone with a stronger mind then yours", said the Contessa confidently. Sly smirked and dropped into his symbolic fighting stance, the golden hook of his cane glimmering.

"I may not have as strong a mind as my friends, but I do have one thing, and that's skill", said Sly. Contessa approached, raising her claws threateningly while the Clockwerk eyes hung from a chain round her neck, the globes shining their evil gold.

"If that is true, then you will be losing this fight all too soon", said the Contessa. In a flash, the Contessa charged, her legs scuttling over the steel surface while she flashed her claws, striking out with them in rapid motion. These movements characterized slash attack, capable of chopping and slicing wood. Sly saw the Contessa's approach and smirked at how predictable and sloppy she really was. Just as she reached him, Sly leapt out of the way by sliding under her attack and moving behind her, rolling across the surface of the truck before flipping back onto his feet. He spun around fluently, bearing his cane in attack.

The Contessa, seeing her opponent move and that the only person standing several feet away in Sly's place was Gohan, the black widow tracked Sly's movements and turned around. Her eyes scanned the battle plates before her in an effort to locate her opponent. She found him though but was too late as Sly had came back at her and attacked her, the cane striking at the Contessa's torso.

Contessa backed off at this, clutching her stomach but looking up, seeing Sly crouched in his fighting stance, cane held up with its hook directed toward her. Rubbing her gut to ease the pain, the Contessa let out a aggravated war cry and charged forward, pulling back her right claw and taking a swing at her opponent. Sly, using his thief reflexes ducked further to avoid the attack then shuffled back, seeing the Contessa come in, in a lunge movement while throwing her left claw directly at him. In danger at being impaled by the tip of her claw, Sly side stepped, avoiding that attack before leaping into the air and sending a roundhouse kick at the Contessa's face. Their was a loud thud as the Contessa staggered back, her left cheek bruised and her bottom lip bleeding.

Upon staggering back after being hit, the Contessa rubbed her wound to ease the pain and smirked. Lowering her claw at the same time Sly landed back on solid surface, the Contessa dropped into her own fighting stance. Her six spider legs spread themselves out in balanced positions and her two forward arms curved forward in prey mantis like fashion.

"Not bad Cooper, but you'll have to do better then that!" shouted the Contessa. Sly glared, throwing in all his focus. He had to end this quickly before more Interpol forces arrive under the Contessa's command. That is, if they get wind of their escape.

Rushing forward and meeting each other half way, Sly and Contessa attacked. Throwing hooks, upper cuts and straight punches, the Contessa made an effort to slash Sly to pieces. However, as she attacked, Sly dodged and avoided all her blows. However, just as the Contessa approached, Sly was forced to block all her thrown attacks. His cane spun expertly in his hand as he skillfully blocked every blow. All that could be seen of it was swirling gold and brown and all you could see of the Contessa's attacks were the blurs of her sharp but evenly spaced attacks. Gohan however was able to see their attacks; it appeared to him in slow motion.

Leaping back to avoid a can swipe by Sly, the Contessa retaliated by dropping to her claws and, spreading her legs outward in all directions spun on the floor in an attempt to knock Sly off of his feet. Sly however had leapt into the air to avoid the attack and, dropping to quickly to the ground kicked out with his legs, doing a double jump at the same time leaping backwards through the air in a flip. At the same time he landed at a further distance away from the Contessa, Sly's opponent had jumped back up onto her feet and was back into a fighting position.

Spinning his cane in both hands, Sly stopped and gripped it tight in his right hand. After holding his cane out with the bottom tip of it pointing downward, the raccoon then cranked it back and shot forward, his eyes hardened. The Contessa saw this and was cranking back her right claw, preparing to retaliate with a strong swipe. However, just as she had pulled her arm back, the hook end of Sly's cane began to crackle with blue electricity. When Sly reached his opponent, he dropped to a crouched height back to the floor and pivoting on his left foot while holding his right up, struck out at the Contessa. The hook end of his cane struck the Contessa just above her waste as Sly unleashed his spin attack level 2. His hook swirled through the air at the same time he spun on the spot like a whirlwind.

The blow was effective, and the Contessa was thrown back at the force of both the attack and the blow. Soaring through the air, the Contessa landed with a heavy thud on the ground, legs and arms sprayed out. She let out a chocked cough, saliva flying out of her mouth as the effects of the blow started to kick in. She was about to stagger back to her feet when Sly suddenly appeared and was upon her. Standing over her, the raccoon pointed the hook end of his cane directly at her face, hovering only inches away from where her nose was supposed to be. He made a note she didn't have one.

With the Contessa pinned down at his cane gripped firmly in both his hands, Sly pulled it back, but only in a threatening way as he glared down at the warden. Gohan, who was watching smirked and unfolded his crossed arms. His friend's victory was assured.

"Now Contessa, hand over the Clockwerk eyes or prepare to get hammered", stated Sly, pulling his cane back even more. The Contessa growled through bared teeth up at the raccoon, aggravated and frustrated at her loss. During the time Sly had his opponent pinned, the raccoon slipped the hook of his cane round the chain holding the Clockwerk eyes and slipped the necklace up and over her head. Twirling it where he held it, he tossed the enormous eyes over to Gohan who caught it single handedly and with great ease. The young Saiyan glanced down at them and, satisfied with their victory, lowered it to his side and looked back at Sly and Contessa.

Though it seemed that the Contessa had won, she still had a few tricks up her sleeve. As she glared up at the raccoon thief's fire filled eyes, she suddenly closed her eyes then shot them open, her once red, haunting eyes now glowing bright gold. Sly gasped when he saw this and all at once, he began to feel light headed. Within seconds, his vision blurred, only to be replaced by spiraling red and green. That was what he saw, and it was also what Gohan saw in Sly's eyes. The raccoon's eyes had developed swirls in both pupils, the same colors Sly was seeing at the very moment.

Staggering back while gripping his forehead, Sly let out a agonized scream. It was unknown to him, but the Contessa was now able to get back to her feet. Gohan gasped and dropped into a fighting stance, preparing to go at the Contessa now before she hurt his friend. He knew what the black widow had done to his friend, she had hypnotized him. Sly's screaming died down as the raccoon started walking about, swaying. He was still gripping his forehead, but despite the pain he felt, he had a stupid, dazed grin on his face. The Contessa laughed, the only thing Sly could hear.

"Hahahaha… so raccoon, you thought you had me beat. Well your cockiness will be your undoing. Prepare to meet your doom", exclaimed the Contessa as she scuttled toward the thief. Sly could hear her perfectly and, with all the conscious he had left, gripped his cane tightly and began swiping out at her while he staggered backwards. The Contessa made sure she kept her distance.

"My psychic powers can render a man insane or unconscious, but for you, I've just placed you in a trance like state that can disable you while I beat you. Now who has the stronger mind", asked the Contessa. Sly gritted his teeth and, biting back the pain looked up, in an effort to try and sought out his opponent. He still had a swirly vision and as he fought against the psychic effects, he could sort of make out a wavy vision of the Contessa. However, he couldn't tell what she was doing.

Cranking back her claws, the Contessa prepared to finish him off. Sly had staggered back so much that he was close to falling off the edge. She grinned in anticipation. "You may have bested me in strength, but you will never beat me with your mind", said the black widow menacingly. Sly heard this and, balling his fists he squinted his eyes, staring ahead of him sharply and with whatever focus he had left. Slowly but surely he saw the Contessa approaching and as she drew closer, Sly's vision began to clear. All he needed to do was knock out the source of his problem.

Just as the Contessa was about the strike, Sly's vision had cleared up and in one careful movement; he struck out with his cane, having cranked back his arm before hand. But he didn't just aim for the Contessa's torso, he aimed for her head. Caught completely by surprise, the Contessa was knocked backwards, her feet scratching against the truck's roof before she slipped and fell back, her head hitting the cold hard steel. The instant she had fallen, Sly's vision cleared completely and the raccoon regained his bearings.

Gohan sighed in relief and stood up straight again, spinning his sword in his hand and shoving it back through the straps on his back. Sly sighed in relief as well and when he looked down, he saw the Contessa lying spray legged once again, her arms and legs out and looked like she was about to slip into unconsciousness. Still alive and awake, the Contessa used her remaining strength to look up at Sly and scowl.

"You have… a strong mind… Cooper. I… envy that…" she spat out venomously. Then, when she saw Sly smirk and fling his cane onto her shoulder, the Contessa slumped out, her head falling back and her body relaxing.

Looking up and away from the Contessa, Sly smiled at Gohan while he smirked back. It has been a rough day, but they managed to pull through and back onto the road. Speaking of which, with the truck still in motion and the sounds of distant sirens approaching, they knew they had to leave, and save the chatter for later. Nodding toward the van, Sly grinned as he walked over to Gohan, the two of them keeping their eyes on each other.

"Come on Gohan… lets go," said Sly. Gohan nodded and gave Sly the thumbs up.

"Right!"

It would take a lot of explaining, but the boys and girls were in for a hell of a story…

* * *

_**Bentley's thoughts…**_

"It took us some time, but the gang eventually pulled out of the convoy's perimeter and within a minute's time, we were out of there, driving off into the distance. I was thrilled, and with the success of our mission, I felt even more pride wash over me. Having not been in such close quarters with an opponent or have ever participated in a gun fight before, I knew that in the future I was going to get used to it. Taking my place in the back of the van and given the time we had, we enjoyed ourselves."

"The road trip ahead of us gave us the opportunity to talk and get to know each other a little better. With Carmelita and Videl on the out's with Interpol and were on the wanted list, they had no intention on leaving the gang. Though I highly disagreed and protested with Sly and Gohan's idea, we eventually accepted the two cops into our gang's circle. For the first time in Cooper gang history, we picked up some new member's, and the team would never be the same. I suppose that with Videl and Carmelita who had once been apart of the law enforcements, I suspected that they knew a lot about the many police checkpoints and stations so there was no denying the fact that they would be useful to our gang. With Videl's fighting skills and Carmelita's weapon specializing, I knew that we made up the greatest band of thieves in the world."

"Not only did our ride out of Russia give us the time to talk, especially since Gohan had told the interesting story of how he had survived his clash with the infamous spice salesman Rajan and how I had arrived on the scene to inspect the damage, we also all shared a good laugh. Murray had to pull over twice because he was laughing so hard while the others nearly fell off their seats or had almost suffered a burst lung. But then again, it gave all of us a pause for thought. Never in our history of knowing had the boys ever been separated or have been pulled apart from each other. This Clockwerk situation was doing this to us and gave us a new insight on things. It was during this time we realized how important we were to each other, whether we were cops or robbers, we were all part of that circle of life… or so to speak."

"Tired from our week's excitement, the newly formulated gang took a little time out in Sweden. Enjoying the scenery and having a few camp outs in the wilderness, we soon found ourselves back on the road again for France."

"As for the Contessa, that overpaid, psycho-case was thrown into jail. Somehow, some unknown evidence were stacked against her by a unreliable source and on the news, we found out that the Contessa was a secret operative and member of the Klaww gang. We also found out she was also arrested for the crimes against humanity she committed while working for Interpol. An attention getting turn of events I should say. But with another Clockwerk part under our wings and with many other continents to visit to reclaim these powerful artifacts and accursed pieces of a dooms day puzzle, we were in for some more action…"

"I had a feeling though, that things were about to get even tougher…"

TO BE CONTINUED…


	18. He Who Tames the Iron Horse

DRAGONBALL Z **meets _Sly Cooper_**

**He Who Tames the Iron Horse!**

_**Sly's thoughts…**_

"Back on our feet after a well earned rest, the newly formed Cooper gang was back in action. With two new members to the team, we knew that the journey ahead of us would be one we were all looking forward too. Out of all the gang, Murray was by far the most enthusiastic of the lot. It sort of surprised Carmelita and Videl though but they'd just have to get used to it. It was a lot tougher being a thief then it is a cop. In this business the heists are tough and dangerous and one wrong move could mean certain death. That was on the more common occasions."

"It took some doing, but Bentley was able to narrow down on our next target. Because a majority of the leading Klaww gang members had been arrested and thrown out of the business, the remaining members was using all their power to keep themselves concealed, thus hiding the secret locations and uses of the Clockwerk parts. So far, three Klaww gang members have been brought to justice, which meant that there were two more to deal with. It turns out that our next target was none other then Jean Bison: an anthropomorphic bison from the 19th Century with a huge knack for deforestation. What he was doing in this time was a mystery, but it soon became clear to us when the gang loaded up the van and started our journey to the West."

"A prospector from the 1850's, this young man was a well known, self made man who grew up with his family high up in the mountains. Choosing his path of succession, he joined a mining colony, where he excelled and achieved high ranks and standards in the organization he once served. He went on to become the greatest miner in his time. But fate had other plans for him."

"Because of his keen eye on taking up challenges and risks, a minor accident high up in the mountains caused a major climax to develop where Jean Bison found himself buried by a freak avalanche during a mining expedition during the Great Canadian Gold rush. It was after this accident where Jean Bison went missing, as a result of him being frozen under tons of ice and trapped in suspended animation. For the next few decades, Jean Bison remained trapped where he lay, until results of global warming melted the ice he was trapped in thus, releasing him from his prison. Miracle or not, jean Bison was set free, after which he claimed he would finish what he had started all those years ago."

"A product of his time, Jean Bison went on his quest of what he called 'taming the Wild North'. By doing this, he started leveling forests and placing dams on every river throughout Canada. His acts against nature didn't go unnoticed, and it was the leader of the Klaww gang who took him into the business. This move prompted a complete Northern trim, where Jean Bison achieved a bankroll for his war against nature because of his participation in the Klaww gang. He served as the Shipping Baron for the entire gang, and his train track routes became known all across North America."

"Although Jean Bison was several years out of date and wasn't so high on the technological side, he still managed to earn a fist full of Clockwerk parts. It was said that he was in possession of, not only the lungs and stomach of Clockwerk, but was also the owner of the razor sharp blades of Clockwerk's talons… a full arsenal of Clockwerk parts! With the lungs and stomach, Jean Bison would be able to maximize power to his refinery's, not to mention give him all the coal power he needed to run his iron horse, a train system that runs all throughout Canada. But with the talons, the bison would be able to cut down an entire forest within half an hour's time, ten times faster then ordinary logging industries."

"With the determination to stop Jean Bison from damaging the environment even more, we set off for Canada, where we also planned to steal back the Clockwerk parts Jean Bison had in his possession. I had reason to believe that people don't like their forests cut down, especially by a lumber jack like Jean Bison. But I kind of feel sorry for the guy. Back in his day, he would have been a hero. However, in these days… he's a criminal."

* * *

_**Canadian Mountains…**_

_**Iron Horse tracks Port**_

Deep within the High Alps of the Canadian mountains, down the wide, frozen rivers and across the tops of vast valleys of evergreen trees was a small outpost intersection where a variety of railways cross road here. At this small town that circulated round one of the highest and steepest peaks in the region was where the Cooper gang had set up shop in an abandoned store house beside the river that ran past the town. Though this small town appeared to be like every other town, it was in fact the secret base to Jean Bison's Iron Horse trade routes. The most incredible thing was that this place didn't show up on any of the local maps.

It was dawn, and patrolling the town were Jean Bison's armored patrols. They ranged from the muscle bound moose breed spot light guards, who were dressed in a full on snow hunting outfit and armed with a double barrel shot gun with a flashlight attached to it, to the regular guards who was a breed of ducks dressed in worker outfits, armed with either a pair of ice picks or a shovel. Then there was Jean Bison's top and heaviest of all patrol units known as the Hill Top Hikers. They were a hired mercenary armed force, all of them dressed in snow camouflage uniforms (pure white), wearing black boots and were well built. Because they wore hoods over their helmets, their eyes were overshadowed but their characteristics and expressions framed their Canadian background. Over their thick jackets they wore utility belts and a majority of them were armed with a single Luger pistol for a sidearm with only a couple of magazines while their back up guards was armed with Kar98 rifles. Their lack of proper weapon support symbolized their combat power, their brawn making others feel intimidated. Unfortunately, when the Cooper gang was to make their move, they would be subjected to a real beating.

A mass of 20 troops were marching up and down the main road, dividing the part of the town closest to the river away from Jean Bison's railway track and path leading up to the Bison's shack. They were stationed and on patrol here for the soul purpose of stopping intruders and unwanted visitors from entering Jean Bison's territory. But of course, that did not stop Son Gohan or Sly Cooper as the two thieves used the roof tops to their advantage.

Under the cover of the darkened sky with the gentle, orange glow illuminated over the horizon of distant mountains, the two thieves made their way back to their safe house from Jean Bison's shack. Spiriting down the path close to the mountain, the two of them reached the railway track. Just like before, the two of them broke off, sprinting down in different directions the track before them was headed. Without even setting foot on the steel beams and wooden supports, both thieves leapt into the air and hooked themselves onto two identical telephone poles. Using their expert climbing skills, the two of them reached the top in a matter of seconds and upon positioning themselves on the very point of the top of the poles, made a tremendous leap across the tracks. If a train were to be passing by at that very moment, they would have been smoke screened by the emissions from the train itself as it was passing by with its heavy load.

That major leap initiated by both thieves allowed them to achieve their goals as they both landed on top of the roof of the train station built on the other side of the tracks. A largely built wooden building about three shacks long with a height of two stories, with the height of the roof's extent toward the sky making it three stories high. It looked just like any old train station in the old West, but the sign over it said _'Welcome to the Iron Horse Cross'_, a title different from any other used before.

Dashing over the tile based rooftop, Sly and Gohan then leapt off on the other side of the station's roof close to the edge's gutter, jumping from the station to the building across from them. If they were to look down, they would see them jumping over the main road of the small port town. Quiet and stealth like, they leapt clean over the patrol of twenty men, their shadows disappearing into to the shadow of the shacks in front of them.

Landing atop of the building they were aiming for, Gohan landing on the building on the left and Sly landing on the building on the right, the two effortlessly took sprinting positions again and started their next run. Their landings and running starts went soundlessly, as well as their running. Scampering up the roof they were on, ran down the other side and like before, made another major leap, this time landing on the same building, a two story hotel for pilots, Jean Bison's men and sailors. Repeating the same process they had done numerous times before, the two of them dashed across the roof. Only this time, when they reached the next ledge, they dropped down, landing on their feet lightly in a crouched position, cushioning their fall, pressing their left hand against the solid ground for balance and to support their stance.

After landing, they stared ahead of each other for the moment in silence, feeling the cold chill of their surroundings biting at their skin. Sharpening their senses, the two of them scanned around them, their senses ranging from a radius of 100 yards in all directions. After which they had finished and sensed no danger within their sector, the two of them glanced and each other and, nodding in silent confirmation, leapt back to their feet and sprinted the rest of the way to their safe house. Crossing the dirt ridden path, the two of them made it to the plank made dock.

Running across this port, passing by various fishing boats that were in danger of sinking because of the weight of icicles they were taking on, the pair of them made it back to base, a small house at the end of the jetty. It was pretty basic design, similar to that of every other house in the sector and more importantly, was the perfect place to set up shop as this place was rarely visited by guards and blended in completely with their surroundings. It was covered in snow on the roof and the windows were boarded shut with a few spaces to allow light to escape into the dark interior and to allow those inside to peer out on a lookout. In the hands of the Cooper gang, it was their dream hide out.

Sly was the first at the door. Looking left and right to check if the coast was clear, Sly reached out and, turning the knob, pushed the door in. The raccoon disappeared in a flick of a tail. Gohan had been on the lookout too and just as Sly disappeared, the young half breed followed, his shadow vanishing and the door closing shut. A resounding click told all that the thieves had locked the door, so not to invite any curious eyes.

Stepping into the dimly lit home, Sly and Gohan were immediately greeted by the smiles of their friends sitting at a round table centered in the little house. Bentley with his thief net computer/lap top open and on out in front of him, Murray with a hot dog in his hands, Carmelita lying back in her chair with her shock pistol twirling in her finger and Videl sitting forward with her fingers intertwined and both hands laid on the table. Carmelita was dressed in her regular work clothes but wore a wooly jumper and hat to keep her warm and Videl, who was also dressed in her usual white shirt and bicycle shorts also wore a warm over coat; an army jumper with a wooly cap. Of course, the group had been waiting for Gohan and Sly to return for quite some time and was pleased to see them back. Around the room it was dark with a couple of shelves and cupboards, and because some equipment had been brought along, a electrical heater had been plugged in the far corner, its bars glowing a brilliant red, providing heat to the anxious gang.

Pulling up the two empty chairs reserved for them, Gohan and Sly sat down. Gohan sat in between Videl and Murray while Sly sat in between Bentley and Carmelita. The entire group exchanged glances and nods before turning to the two thieves who had returned. Sly leaned back in his seat, throwing his feet up onto the large table as he took his cap off. Tossing it in front of him, his blue cap came to hang on the toe ends of his shoes. The thief then laid his cane beside his chair, crossing his arms over his chest and rubbing his arms rapidly for warmth. Gohan had taken his regular seating position, leaning back into his chair while crossing his arms. Upon seeing his friend's looking at him he smirked, nodding out the window.

"Jean Bison sure has gone all out on preparing this outpost", said Gohan. Bentley raised an eyebrow at Gohan just as Carmelita did.

"On the contrary Gohan, this isn't just some random out post Jean Bison had set up for his men. This is the main base of operations for Jean Bison's transportation of illegal spices. He uses these railways as intersection points. Using various freight trains, Jean Bison is able to transport logging and goods from here and filter them down to the main ports of America where they can be easily distributed to the highest bidder or, doing business with his primary client, send it all the way to Paris to Dimitri who by the way is now out of business thanks to you Carmelita", said Bentley, nodding over to the vixen who had changed her direction and had her attention fixed on Bentley. The former Inspector smiled and nodded toward the turtle.

"I aim to please, but that slippery skinned reptile won't be showing up for a while now. He's earned himself twenty years in the clink", said Carmelita, throwing her feet up onto the table like Sly. Sly smiled to the vixen sitting to his left and shrugged.

"Without your intervention Carm, that guy would still be out there now. If you're wondering why he was all beaten up in the first place, it might be of some comfort to you that I was the one that gave him that fist full of knuckles", said Sly, cranking his fingers before placing his hands behind his head. Murray nodded in agreement, swallowing the hot dog chunks he had in his mouth in a loud gulp before wiping his mouth clean and turning to the vixen.

"Oh yeah, Sly really did a number one on that bozo. Boy I tell yah, Sly really does pack a punch", exclaimed the hippo. Carmelita nodded toward Murray.

"I can't object to that", said the fox. Videl smiled a small smile toward the Inspector but leaned back in her chair, looking down at the table in thought. Gohan turned to her in puzzlement and curiosity. He could sense something on her mind but it wasn't too serious. It mainly concerned this situation they were in now, which by all it counts was a big deal to the others.

"The question is however guys, where could Jean Bison stash four Clockwerk parts? He sure does have a truck full of them. How could he put such high tech machinery to use out here when he clearly uses 19th Century equipment, A bit out of date for high life use if you ask me", said Videl. Bentley nodded and turned to his computer. Without anything to hold him up, Bentley immediately brought up his regular programs used to decipher simple codes as well as bring up their regular time tables and charts. The group turned their attention to Bentley.

Looking up at Sly and Gohan the turtle held out his left hand while he continued to type with his right. "Gohan, Sly… I will need those photos you two have taken on your reconnaissance", stated the turtle. Doing as their friend asked, Gohan and Sly reached into their pouches strapped to their left leg and, pulling out the small, dark blue and light blue camera, slid it across the table to Bentley's awaiting hand. The turtle latched onto both cameras and, pulling the USB plus out from the sides of the two cameras, plugged them into the side of his computer. As soon as he had done so, his computer began to light up with the pictures Gohan and Sly had taken and the turtle was less then surprised.

"OK guys, the photos have been beamed to me and I'll concoct our battle plan. If we are going to get at those Clockwerk parts, then we'll need to do this accurately and precisely. If there is at least one slip up, then you can kiss all of us good bye", said Bentley, his fingers taping away at the keys on his laptop. The group nodded in exact unison and while Bentley typed away, the five spectators decided to talk amongst each other. Murray decided to latch onto Sly and Carmelita's conversation, leaving Gohan and Videl to speak privately. Videl used this time to express her thoughts on their current situation.

"Gohan what I don't understand is why did the Klaww gang steal the Clockwerk parts in the first place. How did they even know where they could obtain them and how they got the information about Clockwerk? It doesn't make any sense. The history on Clockwerk was strictly confidential", whispered Videl, in question and in statement. Gohan shrugged, he was just as confused as she was. This mystery was turning out to be a real brain teaser.

"I don't know… but they must have had help from someone or perhaps had a real smart leader to have figured out where the Clockwerk parts were and who Clockwerk once was. But there are other questions to this too. Why did Arpeggio create the Klaww gang? There has to be some logical reason for these five agents to come together and start a world wide organization just like the Fiendish Five before them", said Gohan. Videl scratched her chin and shrugged. They kept the conversation quiet from the others so that no one could over hear them or interrupt them. Little did the pair of them know was that Murray, Carmelita and Sly were discussing the same thing.

"Well, there was the Contessa. She was working for Interpol even before she was accepted into the Klaww gang, so she must have passed on the information about Clockwerk to Arpeggio", said Videl. Gohan nodded in agreement, but was a bit skeptical.

"Yes, but the Contessa was committing crimes even before her acceptance, and besides, she couldn't have known… she was a warden and had no connection with your line of work", said Gohan. Videl nodded, seeing he was right.

"Yeah… the Contessa wasn't even involved in any way. She didn't even take Mz. Ruby or the other Fiendish Five member's into her custody so she couldn't have coaxed the information out of them. So throw her out of the picture." Gohan shrugged.

"OK, but I do have a feeling about one of our targets. I don't think that Arpeggio wanted to strike it big with the other four members of the Klaww gang. I have a feeling that he wanted the Clockwerk parts for himself", said the young Saiyan. Videl looked over at Gohan in surprise.

"Why?" Gohan looked over at her, his expression serious.

"Listen, when I was in his cabin with Sly, we overheard a phone call between Jean Bison and Arpeggio. Jean Bison said something about trading his fair share of the Clockwerk parts with Arpeggio for some alternative source of power. From what we heard, Arpeggio has been going to high bids to buy the other's out into purchasing the parts", said Gohan. Videl raised an eyebrow.

"I see, but that doesn't explain why", she replied. Gohan sighed and shook his head.

"I'm telling you that's all we heard, but I have a hunch on what Arpeggio truly wants to achieve with this bargain. I just hope I'm wrong…"

"AH-HA", cheered Bentley, leaning back into his chair and balling a fist in triumph. The entire gang turned in Bentley's direction in surprise to see the turtle grinning in success and a look of achievement glittering in his glasses. The turtle's grin turned into a smile as he turned to his friends, at the same time turning the computer round so that the others could see what he had came up with. Huddling together as close as they could around the table, Gohan, Videl, Sly, Carmelita and Murray stared into the screen of the computer, seeing what they concluded to be a map formulated by their own resident genius.

The turtle crossed his arms and, after seeing everyone's eyes leave the computer screen to rest on him, began his talk. He had recited this little plan of their's from scratch and, just like on many other operations before this, he was positive they would succeed. "OK guys, this is it. Operation Iron Horse raid is about to begin. Thanks to Gohan and Sly's reconnaissance photos of Jean Bison's fielding operation and personal cabin, it allowed me to formulate a quick and decisive attack we can initiate within the hour. The schedule's of Jean Bison's shipping Sly had managed to snag had notes on when Jean Bison's –'special' cargo would be coming in. That, I mean the primary Iron horse Jean Bison uses the Clockwerk lungs and stomach to power. Because it is only one train, it shouldn't be much of a problem and I'm sure all of you are eager for a train robbery", said Bentley, an evil smirk in play. Sly, Gohan and Murray smirked in return. They knew that this was going to be good… and would be getting better as they went along. Being former cops, Carmelita and Videl weren't as enthusiastic about it but would be soon enough when their instructions were handed out.

Now having their attention, Bentley moved on. "Of course, getting onto the Iron Horse would be a problem. One, when the train stops to collect its precious cargo bound for down South, the station would be loaded with guards. As a percentage of Jean Bison's personal staff would be on board the train, it eliminates the presence of individual patrols. However, it is clear though that Jean Bison's hired bodyguards are still on watch and would need to be dealt with This is where you two come in", said Bentley, gesturing over to Carmelita and Videl. The two women looked up in surprise. "With your weapon specializing and combat training, I believe you two would be able to handle that platoon no problem!"

Glancing at each other, the realization slowly dawned on the two Interpol cops and in a second's time, they smirked. Nodding, the two of them looked back and Bentley, their expressions showing their enthusiasm and determination. Finally something good! "You can count on us", said Videl. Carmelita nodded in support and agreement.

"We'll remove them from play and allow you a safe path through to the Iron horse", continued Carmelita. Bentley smiled and nodded, at the same time Sly and Gohan smirked. They knew that Carmelita and Videl would eventually warm up to their new career.

"That's good. Because once you have Jean Bison's guard distracted, Sly, Gohan and Murray will slip onto the train and into the rear carriage. From their, the three of you will make your way up the carriages and toward the Iron horse itself, eliminating all obstacles in their path while I use my RC Chopper to take out any aerial armaments or remove any obstacles in your way. Of course, it shouldn't be a problem for such highly trained and professional wise thieves", said Bentley, making a point toward his friends. No objections were made and as soon as Bentley had finished, the entire gang was on their feet.

"So Bentley if we are going to board the train, where exactly are these so called Clockwerk parts located", asked Sly. Bentley raised an eyebrow and blindly, pointed at the old steam train on his computer screen. Tapping it twice to address this, Bentley looked up and at the faces of all those who were present.

"They are powering the locomotive. If I'm not mistaken, they should be welded onto the damper of the boiler, according to the train's blue prints. It shouldn't take much to remove them. No need to be delicate with this operation, we just have to concentrate on getting the job done", said Bentley. With that question answered, Gohan, Sly and Murray didn't have anything else to worry about. With no further problems or other questions needing to be addressed, Bentley saw that the computer was no longer needed. With a nod of confirmation, Bentley shut his computer and got to his feet. Pulling his crossbow up with him, he slung it onto his shoulder.

"Let's go!"

* * *

_**Outside**_

It was still a little dark, so the gang was able to freely exit the safe house no problem. Having finally packed their gear and have equipped themselves to the right caliber for this mission, the team was finally on the move. Spreading out upon exiting the abandoned shack, the five of them then sprinted back onto land down the port and deposited themselves close to the hotel, moving up against the wall, side by side. Looking left and right, they all looked at each other for reassurance.

After seeing the nods of anticipation from their other team mates, they all set themselves up for their attack. Carmelita drew her shock pistol and loaded it, the gun buzzing into life. Videl also pulled her pistol out, but this time she drew a new pistol rather then her plasma bolt Luger P1000. The issue of pistol she had this time was a Desert Eagle, the 44 Magnum model that had a magazine capacity of nine rounds. Perfect for a girl like her with a awesome sense of firepower. Gripping the sides of the slider, Videl pulled it back before releasing it, her weapon loading instantaneously with two loud clicks. Bentley, also carrying a weapon pulled out his crossbow and gripped the forward handle, pulling it back and pushing it forward, similar to loading a pump action shot gun. With that settled, an arrow loaded into the upper-outer chamber where it stuck, ready for firing. The rest of those gang members who didn't use fire arms readied themselves as per granted. Murray tightened his gloves, Sly gripped his cane tighter and Gohan drew both his swords into attack position, both blades glimmering in the light of the sun.

When all five members of the Cooper gang were backed up and ready, they then initiated their attack. They split up into three separate groups, each taking their planned route. The first group that consisted of Sly and Gohan and Murray, broke off and went right, planning to cut round and head toward the train station at the forward end. The second support group made up of Videl and Carmelita, slipped away to the left, following the operation step by step where they would plan to take on the mercenary forces stationed outside the train station. And finally Bentley, the one man group stayed where he was. Having loaded his crossbow, he set it down on the ground and, taking out his remote control helicopter from the pack on his back, set it up.

As soon as Bentley had set up his RC Chopper under the safety of the shadow of the building, he started it up and within seconds, the chugging small yet powerful motor of the small mechanical chopper lifted into the air, blowing debris and snow particles everywhere. Taking control of the small chopper via his remote control, Bentley maneuvered the small helicopter into the air and into the air, being sure to keep it at a low altitude and out of sight of any wandering eyes. With his chopper in the air, Bentley was ready to play his part of the operation.

Sneaking round the hotel close to the wall till they had reached the other side, Carmelita and Videl kept a look out for the wandering patrol of troops. But after looking left and right down the road they were in, they turned to each other and after a reassuring nod, sprinted across the road till they were behind the next building across from the actual train station. They knew that they were behind enemy lines, in uncharted territory and that any wrong move would by instant death. But they were far more skilled and far stronger then any of Jean Bison's men but unlike Gohan, they couldn't dodge or withstand bullets so they would have to be extra careful.

Moving round the building they were behind until they were on the width side of the house, the two former cops peered round the wooden building and spied the train station just across the wide road. The snow and dirt filled road had to be at least 15 meters wide, allowing any vehicle to pass through easily and present quite a large space. It would be impossible for Sly, Murray and Gohan to rush through without getting spotted. Now they knew why they were given this task. To distract the main guard, as well as take out Jean Bison's main forces in order for the gang to get through safely. When they were training back in the academy, they were able to take down an entire task force of highly trained SWAT forces in hand to hand combat and now that they were armed and up against medium trained mercenaries, this should be no problem.

After spotting the train station, Videl and Carmelita also spotted the platoon of troops stationed outside. There was strength of about twenty men, all of them dressed in snow camouflage uniforms and wearing German WWII steel helmets. A majority of them only had pistols, the Luger model from the looks of it while only a small number of them were armed with Kar98 bolt action rifles. Searching around, Videl and Carmelita were able to spot the leaders of the troop. Two of the twenty soldiers were officers and both of them were standing side by side, watching their men walk about and talk to each other. They were easily distinguished as the leading officers as they wore different outfits to their men. Both wore black officer tunics with a red arm band around their left jacket sleeves with the Klaww gang symbol in black imprinted on a white circular background. They also wore officer's caps with Eagle wings as their symbol to show their authority as leaders. To complete the look, they also wore sunglasses to hide their eyes. Both of them were human. They had their hands behind their backs and were only armed with the same Luger pistols. Fortunately, all of the soldiers with Lugers had their pistols holstered.

Moving back round, Videl and Carmelita stood backed up against the shack, pistols in hand and chests heaving with slow, steady breaths. They looked down at their wrists for their watches. They were told of the Iron horse arrival only a few minutes ago by Bentley and were now waiting for the train's arrival. When it did arrive and the guard was back on duty, they would spring their attack. In the chaos, Bentley would use his RC Chopper to take out the defenses on the train, leaving a clear entrance point for Sly, Murray and Gohan. Videl and Carmelita's mission was of course already explained and in order for their operation to succeed, they needed to go by the schedule.

Meanwhile, Sly, Murray and Gohan had stationed themselves several blocks down the line of buildings across from the station close to the loading depot. They were in the same line of buildings as Carmelita and Videl only a very big distance apart. Sly was at the front of the gang and crouched low, peering round the shack he and the other two were behind, his eyes scanning over the platoon of twenty men down the road in front of the station. Gohan stood behind Sly, dropped in his defensive stealth fighting stance with Murray behind him, fists clenched and up, ready for action. The three of them kept silence so to not alert the attention of Jean Bison's guards.

From there, the group waited. All was quiet round the mountain area with the only sound to be heard was from the chatter of the twenty armed guards up front. During this time of silence, the group watched the sun start to rise from over the horizon of the mountains, its orange glow hitting the icy landscapes, creating a beautiful texture of purple, blue, pink and orange in the skies. The thin layer of clouds created an extra, beautiful texture in the sky as the sun's beams cut through the spaces between the clouds spaces. The birds fluttering through the air filled the air with their songs, relaxing the team some what. But then, after several minutes of waiting, they heard it.

The rumbling of the tracks was the first sign, and with the shaking of the earth and the sounds of whistles, the group prepared. Through the eyes of the gang who was watching, on the horizon where the tracks extended too, they saw a heavy black smoke lift into the air and following it, found the source of it. Soon, within the seconds of waiting and watching, the gang saw the black, powerful locomotive chug in and pull up through the station, following the tracks set out for it. Upon reaching its destination, the locomotive slowed and, with a huge whoosh of steam, it stopped, its whistle sounding one last time to address its presence and signal its arrival.

Seeing the train and hearing it pull up and to a stop, the twenty soldiers up front got to their feet and pulled up into their lines, side by side with their officers ordering them along. Scampering around until they were set up right, the soldiers stood at attention, their backs turned to Carmelita and Videl and their eyes staring intently ahead of them as they retained their positions and postures. The officers then moved in front of their troop and inspected their ranks. Thoroughly impressed, the head officer then started giving them orders and filling them with confidence via a speech he had prepared, just like every good officer would.

Glancing down at their watches, Carmelita and Videl saw the second hand reach its point and look up at each other, they nodded. "Ready?" asked Carmelita. Videl nodded in return and lifted her Desert Eagle to show her readiness.

"As I ever will be", she replied. Hearing this the two of them took in a deep breath of air and then stepped out from their hiding place and wheeled round the shack. With Carmelita standing closest to the building and Videl stepping outwards into the open a bit, the two of them took aim. Gripping her Desert Eagle with one hand, Videl opened fire first, her bullets exploding into action with loud shots.

The men at the back were first to catch it as the heavy 44 bullets collided with them. The two troops closest to the back in the corner of their ranks that were hit let out resounding screams and fell forward from the force of the impact, almost knocking their comrades over. Carmelita followed up the attack with her volley, the vixen beginning firing her deadly blue bolts at the swath of troops. The troops at the back who turned around were struck head on by the barrage of gun fire fired by Carmelita and Videl. Those who were hit by Carmelita's electrifying rounds were sent flying through the air, just like many others who were struck down by Videl's Desert Eagle fire. Now those were some powerful pistols.

Reacting quickly to the attack, the soldiers scattered, those wielding their rifles taking aim and firing their single shots before loading the next round into the chamber by pulling back on the bolt. The soldiers with the pistols drew them and upon loading them, began returning fire. The entire platoon's fire was almost like being bombarded by machine gun fire as Videl and Carmelita immediately took cover. With Carmelita now closest to the battle, the vixen fired round the corner, her shots firing blindly away at the scattering soldiers while Videl reloaded her pistol. The bodies of those troops who were unfortunately hit in the beginning of the attack lay lifeless in the middle of the road, dead.

The officers took cover behind the support pillars on the porch of the train station and began returning fire with their pistols. The smokeless effect of the weapons allowed them to get clear shots without being blinded by a smoke screen. During the time they were firing, their brave troops stood or crouched in the street, firing down on the corner of the shack with their pistols and rifles in an effort to get at their targets. They had their targets pinned down for the moment, but when they had to reload, that's when they began suffering their fatalities.

Hearing the gun fire die down, Carmelita and Videl moved into action again. Dashing out onto the field, Videl took aim with her Desert Eagle and began hammering down the closest targets with carefully placed shots. The boom of the gun sounded and a split second later, a soldiers who was standing was sent flying through the air with all the air knocked out of him, making him loose the ability to scream before he came crashing to the floor several feet away from his position. Within seconds, eight more soldiers were downed and with most of them recovering from the shock, it allowed Carmelita to step in.

Initiating a commando roll, Carmelita emerged from her cover crouched in the middle of the street and immediately began firing away at the soldiers. The blue, electrical shots fired colliding with a couple of troops. It was these shots that made the soldiers duck and cover behind anything they could find, so to avoid the deadly fire while the officers stood behind the wooden pole supports where they were. All they could do at this point was shout meaningless orders to their men, who were still a little too shaken to obey them.

Sly, Murray and Gohan watched from down the street in amazement and amusement at the action taking place. First they were watching the troops move into position and a split second later, a full on action film had sprung up before them. They couldn't help but be thoroughly entertained by Carmelita and Videl's handy work. It was incredible how the two women were already making short work of the entire platoon. Already they had taken down fourteen of them, leaving only six left, all of which were finding cover for protection. Seeing that Carmelita and Videl had to get rid of the guards first before they moved, they just sat back and watched the show.

Meanwhile, Bentley who was watching the gunfight through the camera he had placed in his RC Chopper was now plotting his way through to the Iron horse train. When he maneuvered his chopper over the main road and over the station, the turtle finally got his first good look at what they were up against. This was no ordinary train, it was a fully armed military train stuffed to the gills with fortifications and armaments from heavy cannons to rocket launchers. Running up and down the carriage rooftops were some of Jean Bison's spotlight guards and regular guards, all of which were moving supplies up and down the carriages the easy way. Above the noise of the train's engines still hissing and roaring, they could not hear the gun fight going on only a hundred meters away. This gave Bentley the advantage of surprise.

Taking full control of his chopper, Bentley moved it so that it hovered round the caboose and from their, he got to work. Dropping out of the sky in a dive bomber maneuver, Bentley unleashed his assault. Reaching the first carriage that had two duck guards standing atop of it where an open hatch was, Bentley dropped one well placed bomb, aimed for the anti air cannon close to the front of the carriage. The duck guards only saw the small RC Chopper, but they never saw the bomb drop and before they knew it, a explosion erupted of fire and green smoke, the blast radius extended far greater then an original bomb, consuming the two guards in a fiery death and destroying the carriage completely because of its carriage of ammunition and gun powder.

Following through wit it, Bentley continued his sweep over the long line of twenty carriages, along the way dropping bombs in precise order, being sure to strike at all the armaments and weak points of the armored carriages. His knowledge of explosives served as an advantage as his small bombs allowed him to drop ordinates with high explosive capacity, despite their small sizes. Destroying two passenger carriages that had mounted machine guns atop of it with two spot light guards on each of them, Bentley sent them to hell, the carriages exploding, sending fire everywhere as well as burning debris and shrapnel, leaving a smoking frame in the chopper's path.

The carriages Bentley bombed exploded in a one-two patter, shocking the on looking guards and those who were atop of the carriages. The guards close to the Iron horse train saw the small chopper approaching and in a desperate attempt to stop it, the spot light guards took aim with their double barreled shot guns and fire upon it, only to miss. The duck guards, who were only armed with picks and shovels, were forced to jump off the train rather then face a certain death. Within moments, the guards on the forward five carriages exploded in an inferno as Bentley's chopper passed over them, dropping its five ordinances on the remaining armored carriages. The cannons, along with the armored carts themselves exploded, its precious cargo vanishing in the blitz.

Before the combined explosions of the entire line of carriages could combine and form its large shockwave that would for sure consume his RC Chopper, Bentley took immediate action and pulled up and out of the blast radius, his chopper changing course and returning to its owner. Fortunately, the explosion of the forward carriage failed to even burn the locomotive but did make it lurch forward a bit from the explosive force. When the light of the explosions and the fires did die out, all that was left of the armored carriages were their brunt and ash covered frames, their wheels still on the tracks.

The remaining soldiers defending the station saw the entire line of carriages burst into flames and were in shock, just like Carmelita and Videl. Never had they expected Bentley's RC Chopper to pack that much of a punch. Even Sly, Murray and Gohan watched the train explode in silent awe, the sky lighting up from the fiery explosion, the orange glow vibrating off the sky and illuminating the entire area. This explosion however, also attracted more attention then just them…

* * *

_**Jean Bison's cabin…**_

Standing on the porch of his cabin flanked by two Spot light guards, Jean Bison stood firm and tall, reading a list of shipment that was set and ready for France. Of course, Jean Bison really fitted his character.

It has already been established that he was a Bison, a rather large one of course, and looked real strong. He had a bugling, muscular frame but because of his age, he was hunched over. He had blood red fur, and purple sags under his eyes. To add to his facial features aside from the curled horns on his head behind his ears, he also had a scar down his left eye. Jean Bison also wore tattered brown tunics and shirt, making him look caveman like and had an old horn tied to a strong that served as a necklace round his neck. To accompany that, he also wore a utility belt packed with TNT bars and explosives, as well as a batch of Bear traps slung over his shoulder. Aside from the list he held in his right hand on a clipboard, he held a thick, wooden cane in his left hand that was curved on the end and had a couple of bird feathers tied to it. What everyone else failed to notice though was the razor sharp Clockwerk talons tied to the hook end of his cane that glimmered brightly in the sun peeking up from the horizon. If anyone were to spot this Bison, then they could tell that he meant business.

It was at this point in time did Jean Bison feel positive that his shipment of spice would go smoothly, just like numerous times before. His spice shipment was one of the last tracks the spice had to take before reaching France. This operation went on in secrecy fairly well, as the network the Klaww gang used for transportation was so complex that it was impossible to track where the spices were coming from. First from the source, Rajan, then to Canada where Jean Bison over looked the full security of the shipment and finally, he sent it to Dimitri, where the night club owner would distribute the spice cargo onto the food he served. It was the perfect scheme.

Nodding a couple of times as he looked over the list of supplies needing to be transported, Jean Bison looked up, down the hill toward his train and train station. The train had just arrived and from the looks of it, the loading of the cargo was going along splendidly. With his guards and workers moving about the tops of the train and around the depot where the cargo awaited movement, Jean Bison watched over the hustle and bustle of his own little Empire. He sighed deeply in satisfaction, as he had never seen such procedures undergo in over 150 years. Back in his days, he oversaw many loadings of explosives and vital cargo and it was this that brought back memories of his travels over Canada during the Gold rush.

With a nod, the Bison glanced over at the guard beside him and grinned. "Well now, aside from a minor set back, this operation is going well. I am sure that Arpeggio would want this shipment in France by the time he comes to collect the Clockwerk parts from me", said the Bison proudly in a croaky, deep voice. The guard beside him nodded.

"Yes sir", he replied, his eyes continuing to shift over the landscape on the lookout, his double barrel shot gun slung onto his shoulder. The Bison nodded and looked back toward the train station.

Just as he heard the train sound its whistle, he suddenly heard a loud boom and an explosion to follow as the rear carriage burst into flames. The Bison's eyes widened in shock at what was soon too follow. One by one, each of the twenty armored carriages of the Iron horse express exploded, pillars of fire shooting in all directions, sending the debris and shrapnel everywhere. Before long, the entire line of carriages vanished in a illuminating glow of fire. Jean Bison stood shocked, unable to believe what had just happened, and in record time too. He had never seen such a disaster suddenly spring up upon his train.

"WHAT!!!" Jean Bison screamed in shock.

* * *

Seeing the train's fiery remains die down, Sly, Gohan and Murray looked at each other and nodded. "Alright, lets go", said Gohan. Sly nodded with a grin.

"It's show time. Murray, are you ready", asked the raccoon. Murray nodded enthusiastically and slammed his fists together.

"I'm pumped!"

With that said, the three of them then dashed across the road, with Jean Bison's guard still under fire, they were able to slip through no problem. Videl and Carmelita were the only one's who noticed the group's movement and ensuring their safe pass, continued laying cover fire. They continued their barrage and in the process, attempted to take out the remaining several soldiers. At the same time the two women took cover to avoid the return fire.

The three thieves made it past the crates and fuel barrels making up the depot and when they reached the locomotive parked beside the station, they immediately moved into position. They only stopped momentarily when a spot light guard who was on fire ran past, his back in flames and his screaming echoing around, only to be droned out by gun fire in the background. After seeing this, the three of them then boarded the locomotive, managing to squeeze into the tight compartment's space where the train driver should be. As soon as they entered it, they saw that the compartment was empty, and they concluded that the train driver and assistant had fled when the line of carriages were destroyed.

Looking at the components, pipes and knobs making up the driving console of the locomotive in front of them, the three of them then spotted the boiler's opening at the base, smoke issuing from its vents and the coals inside of it burning red hot. That's when they saw them. Welded into the boulder like system it was were the three Clockwerk parts, lungs and stomach. They found it incredible that three parts would be stuffed in one place. This made it easy picking.

Still unable to believe their eyes, the three of them went up to the boiler and attempted to ply it off. It was only when Sly pulled back sharply did Murray and Gohan stop. The raccoon blew on his hands and rubbed them against each other before he looked up at the other two. "They're hot. We can't get them off without burning our hands. They're welded on anyway", said Sly, his expression downing a bit. Murray gripped the sides of his head in frustration and worry.

"Now what are we going to do. We won't be able to move them in this state", said the hippo. Gohan smirked and stepped forward, moving Sly out of the way lightly. Sly and Murray watched the young Saiyan walk up to the boiler surprised. Puzzled at what Gohan planned to do, Sly turned to him, his hands at his sides.

"Gohan, whatever it is you plan to do I'm not sure it would work. Even your hands would get fried at that heat", said Sly cautiously. Gohan smirked and turned to look at his friends.

"Who said anything about using my hands", said Gohan. Sly raised an eyebrow but then when he saw Gohan lift a finger toward the boiler, the raccoon smirked devilishly.

"I see. Fire away Gohan", said Sly. At this, Gohan concentrated and in a flash of light, the young Saiyan fired a hot, narrow beam into the pipes connecting the lungs and stomach and slowly, burned them out of the boiler. Soon enough, the connections of the parts were sawn off and the three pieces fell from the boiler like pieces from a puzzle. When they fell, the connection to the boiler between them were cut off, and the boiling centre of fiery coals powering the locomotive died down. The engine of the train stopped altogether and when it did, Murray cheered in triumph.

"Whoo-Hoo! Oh yeah, that's the way to do it Gohan", roared the hippo loudly. Gohan dusted his hands together and smiled proudly.

"Just doing my job", said Gohan. Sly, nodding in satisfaction then knelt down and collected one of the Clockwerk lungs and tucked it under his arm. Standing up, the raccoon nodded toward the remaining two pieces.

"We can celebrate later guys. For now, let's just grab the Clockwerk parts and get the hell out of here. I'm sure Jean Bison would have heard the explosion and would be on his way to investigate", stated the thief. Agreeing with Sly's statement, Gohan and Murray quickly gathered up the other two parts, Murray grabbing the stomach and Gohan grabbing the other lung, and as soon as they did, they scampered out of their with their prize. If they knew any better, Bentley would be getting the van fired up and ready for the escape.

* * *

Seeing his adjutant fly back from getting hit by a bolt of electrical energy, the remaining soldier and officer stood where he was behind the wooden pillar, his chest heaving heavily for breaths of air and his limbs trembling. All around him were the fallen bodies of his men and, now outnumbered and out gunned, he stood little chance of surviving. However, still armed with a pistol, he just might have a chance of fending off is attackers.

Glancing behind him, he saw that his targets were taking cover behind the same shack they were hiding behind in the beginning. After seeing them take a peek around their cover, he decided to attack. Spinning round the pillar he was hiding behind, the head officer and remaining soldier approached the two women hiding, Luger raised in attack and eyes narrowed down the barrel of his gun beyond the crosshairs. Without missing a beat, he opened fire. Firing semi-automatic, individual rounds, the officer bombarded his target's hiding place with 9mm Parabellum rounds.

Videl pulled back, the bullets fired at her by the officer striking the side of the shack she and Carmelita were hiding behind. She silently cursed to herself as she realized that he had them pinned. But, patiently and bravely, the pair of them waited as the officer emptied his pistol upon them.

Keeping his sights on their presumed hiding place, the officer continued firing away. Shots rang out and a few seconds later, he had emptied all eight rounds. The rear sightings of his gun flipped up and when he pulled the trigger, all that was heard was the click-click of an empty pistol. Gasping, the officer looked at his Luger, shaking nervously and fearfully, knowing what was to come.

When he heard a second click sound, he looked up, only to meet the muzzle end of a 44 IMI Desert Eagle held firmly upward by a glaring Videl Satan. The officer gulped and stepped back, holstering his weapon and taking a stance as he prepared to make a run for it. He could feel his fate coming in on swift wings, sweat appearing on his forehead in anticipation. What he didn't know was that Videl wasn't planning on shooting him and neither was Carmelita. The two women stood where they were, watching the officer back off. But just as he was backing off, a thick leather whip end came down from above him and wrapped itself around his neck. Making a horrific chocked sound, the officer was suddenly lifted off the ground and thrown into the air, landing twenty meters back from where he once stood…dead.

Shocked, Videl and Carmelita looked up to see a familiar, purple furred tigress grinning down at them with her brown whip flung over her shoulder. Their shocked expressions turned to glares of anger when they identified this surprise guest.

"Neyla", Videl hissed. The purple tigress nodded.

"Surprised to see me my old partner in arms", said Neyla almost sarcastically as she leapt down from the building and landed on the road in front of them, swinging hr whip and making a loud cracking sound that filled the air. She then spun it round her arm so that it was tightly prepared in her grasp and pointed her left hand at the two former cops. "I guess you are. I see that you have broken out of prison!" Carmelita glared at her and pointed an accusing finger at her.

"And I see that you are still a low down, double-crossing bitch", replied Carmelita hotly. Neyla smiled confidently and shook her head, placing her hands on her hips and letting out a sigh.

"Oh, still so black and white aren't you Carmelita", the tigress retaliated. "But I suppose that's all you have been throughout your career. You and Videl have always been black and white in your view, not to mention straight forward. No wonder the Chief held you back and didn't promote you. Anyway, let's move on to more important business", she continued, crossing her arms over her chest. Videl stepped forward, holstering her pistol while Carmelita watched her back with her shock pistol still drawn.

"What do you want Neyla? Have you come for a fight? Because if you did then you just found it", said Videl, dropping into a fighting stance. Neyla smirked and, pulling out from her pocket, the tigress showed the pair her Interpol badge; the golden shield with the five corner star shining brightly in the light in the pair's eyes.

"No, I just came here to say that you're both under arrest, courtesy of the newly promoted Captain Neyla", said Neyla. Videl frowned and tightened her clenched fists. She hated it when Neyla used that sly, no good tone of voice with her and after what she had done to them, Videl wanted nothing more then to give her a good thrashing. The raven haired girl stood where she was, firmly dug into the earth, preparing for the purple tigress to make her move. Though she may have been shocked that Neyla had been promoted, she kept her face blank, as well as keeping her temper in check.

"Not today bitch", Videl growled. In a flash, the raven haired girl leapt at Neyla, yelling at the top of her lungs as she approached the tigress. Neyla though shocked at Videl's speeds managed to slip her badge back into her pocket before back flipping out of Videl's path. The raven haired girl ended up roundhouse kicking the snow where Neyla once stood. Just as Videl landed, the raven haired girl looked up in anger to see Neyla still back flipping away, only for her to land some several meters away. Apparently, the tigress wanted to put as much distance between her and the far superior fighter Videl.

Smirking, the purple tigress unraveled the whip from around her arm and, gripping the handle, flung it straight at Videl. The raven haired girl reacted quickly and side stepped the attack, just barely. The whip's end cracked like thunder, forcing even Carmelita to step back at the wind exploding from such a strike. Just as the whip had cracked, Neyla pulled it back, catching the whip's end in her hand before flinging it back at Videl. However, she missed again when Videl slipped under it and to the side, the time taken for the whip to crack again and for Neyla to bring it back giving the raven haired girl the much needed time she used to sprint up to the officer.

Caught completely off guard when Neyla was bringing back her whip, the Interpol police officer got a black eye and a massive shock when Videl sent a right punch straight across her face. The blow sent Neyla hurling back and crashing back first into the wall of the house behind her as she had to move when Videl shifted to the right, directing her in full flying mode of the building. Crashing on all fours, Neyla looked up, her vision slightly blurry and her head ringing from the force and impact of the blow. When her vision recuperated, she saw Videl running towards her at full speed, fist held back in preparation for her next attack.

Seeing this, Neyla responded by pushing off the ground on all fours, allowing her to leap into the air and above Videl, just as the raven haired girl was sending her punch. Videl missed altogether and reacting quickly looked up to see Neyla flip over her. Spinning around, Videl saw Neyla land behind her and turn around in sync, the tigress sending a backward round house kick up at her face. With quick, powerful reflexes, Videl moved her head and bent slightly over to aside to duck and avoid the kick, Neyla foot shooting out with a sharp sound of a heavy object moving through wind. Neyla's attack cut through the air swiftly and easily, but was brought back as quick as it came.

Using the time it took for Neyla to bring her foot back down, Videl sent a left jab at the tigress's face, only to have Neyla block it and return it with a swift right elbow. The attack flew straight for Videl's face, but the raven haired girl blocked it. The thud of impact sounded when the elbow struck Videl's forearm, making Carmelita cringe as she watched the fight cautiously, pistol held at the ready if Videl needed it.

Seeing her attack fail Neyla initiated a backwards motion, pushing off the ground and jumping back. She did this in case Videl made another attack that would surely cripple her like that punch, and she was fortunate that Videl didn't attack. But that didn't stop the purple tigress from attacking in return. Taking grips with her whip, Neyla unraveled it from around her shoulder and spinning around, sent its knob flinging straight for Videl's face. The raven haired girl was faster then Neyla gave her credit for, even at such a close range with a deadly weapon. With swift hands, Videl caught the end of the whip, the knob wrapping around her wrist and tighten when Videl tugged on it.

Caught in her stupor, Neyla tried to pull her whip free, only to be pulled forward when Videl gripping the length of the whip in two hands and forced her opponent towards her. Neyla lost her balance and fell forward completely to be met with a straight punch to the face, a left elbow across her cheek and a right upper cut to her chest. The tigress had the wind knocked out of her before she felt the full effects of the fluctuating pain from Videl's attacks. Staggering backwards, Neyla stumbled and fell flat on her buttocks, gripping her face to ease the pain she felt. Videl smirked and tossed the tigress her whip which landed at the tigress's outstretched feet. Neyla, seeing this looked up, her left eye sporting a black bruise and red blood leaking from her bottom lip.

"Like I said, not today bitch… guess your heart just isn't in it right now aye", said Videl, glancing over at Carmelita. The vixen smirked in return and nodded toward her friend before they both returned their attention to the purple tigress still lying in the snow before them. Though Neyla had shown speeds and strength that would even make Sly think twice, she was still below the skill level of the entire Cooper gang, including Bentley. This would surely damage Neyla's ego.

Staggering back to her feet with her whip firmly held in her right hand, the tigress growled in frustration. She glared daggers at Videl with shaking, clenched fists and a trembling form. She was angered, frustrated and scared at the same time, these feelings affecting her stamina and energy bar. She knew she couldn't win. The fight before hand had proved it. It was short, and brutal.

"You… I hate you Videl", hissed Neyla. Videl shrugged and waved her cursing out of the way with a flick of her wrist. Carmelita couldn't help but chuckle at the look on Neyla's face.

"Say it don't spray it Neyla", replied Videl. "Save your cursing for another time, we're out of here", stated the girl, concluding the fight right then and there. Now it was Neyla's turn to smirk as the tigress suddenly drew a PKM Russian pistol from behind her. The small firearm aimed directly at Videl's heart, despite the distance the two were from each other. Videl wasn't surprised; she knew that Neyla would have brought a handicap in for the fight. Carmelita raised her pistol sharply, aiming it at the purple furred tigress.

"I don't think so old friend. Like _I_ said! You're under arrest, the both of you", said Neyla, nodding toward Carmelita as well. Videl, watching the pistol shake in Neyla's grip smiled and looked up at the tigress. Though the raven haired girl was worried of getting shot, she knew Neyla didn't have the guts to shoot, if she wanted to live that is.

"Are you just going to hold that or are you going to fire it", asked Videl confidently. Neyla glared at her. Inwardly, she was puzzled. Why was Videl so brave… did she have a plan or something? There was no way she could dodge a bullet… unless!

Videl shrugged. "Guess not…"

Faster then the eye could see, Videl ducked lower and in a pivoting movement, Videl struck out at Neyla's hands with a right round house kick. This knocked the pistol out of Neyla's tightly gripped hands, at the same time shocking the now thunder struck Neyla. Before the tigress had time to react, she received a left, backward, roundhouse kick across the face that came out from nowhere, that was soon followed by a right flick kick to the neck, a powerful right roundhouse kick to the head and finally a left side kick to the chest. The entire kick combo shocked and knocked the wind out of Neyla, the force of the final kick sending the tigress flying back through the air where she landed on the other side of the road, in the snow, lingering on the edge of unconsciousness.

Neyla was tougher then she looked though. After coughing up blood, the purple tigress looked up with shaking limbs supporting her to see Videl and Carmelita standing side by side many meters in front of her, their eyes glaring at her in disappointment. Her vision was both out of focus and blurry, and she couldn't make out what they were saying, even though they weren't saying anything. After seeing their eyes bore into her for a few seconds, Neyla let out a choked curse before falling flat onto her back. Her vision fell into darkness as she reeled into unconsciousness.

Then there was nothing…

* * *

_**Gohan's thoughts…**_

"The gang and I have pulled off the impossible. Not only did we rob and destroy Jean Bison's Iron Horse train, but we made off with three… count that… THREE Clockwerk parts! At the same time, we shut down the entire spice transit system in all of North America. Needless to say, we were pretty pleased with our selves. The only down side to the whole operation was that we never encountered Jean Bison and soon enough, we got word that he went into hiding when the police showed up on his doorstep."

"Aside from the fact that our mission was a complete success, Videl was deeply satisfied. Having told the whole gang how Neyla had arrived on the scene after both her and Carmelita had taken down the entire _Hill Top Hikers_ mercenary task force and how Videl had beaten the stuffing's out of her, we were quite impressed and satisfied ourselves. Finally we had a chance to get Neyla back for what she did to us back in India, at the point of her mistake."

"After which we had loaded up the van with out prizes, we were out of their and on the road again. We managed to slip right under Neyla's nose when she finally regained consciousness. Leaving the smoking town behind in ruins, we were headed off on our next target."

"But then there were still the moments of congratulations toward Videl. My girl had not only dealt with Neyla in the best possible way a Cooper gang member ever could, we showed our appreciation in a substantial way. For the first time in all of our time together, Murray let her drive the van, much to her delight and Carmelita's amusement. It was these moments in time that made the trip ahead of us all worth while…"

TO BE CONTINUED…


	19. Menace from the North eh!

DRAGONBALL Z **meets _Sly Cooper_**

_Menace from the North** eh!**_

_**Gohan's thoughts…**_

"Things just weren't right up in Canada. Random acts of violence were popping up everywhere like weeds and the Northern lights, well… were just not right. One night they would be glowing brighter then ever, and the next night, gone. Vanished without a trace! To add to the liter, me and Sly overheard a conversation between Jean Bison and his business associate Arpeggio. Though as awkward and compelling the conversation between the pair was we immediately came to the conclusion that those two were behind it all. These strange phenomenons wouldn't exist without a prime source."

"Zeroing in on the disturbances was simple. All we had to do was follow the Northern lights before they could disappear again. Traveling North right under the mark of the colorful auras, we stumbled upon an immense lumber camp where the fallen trees advertised Jean Bison's presence here and that he was in possession of the Clockwerk talons. We knew Jean Bison had his grips upon those claws for a couple of good pieces of evidence. One was that when we first saw Jean Bison pacing around in his cabin while on the phone with Arpeggio, Sly and I saw the razor bladed talons of Clockwerk tied to the bison's cane and secondly, the cleanly sliced tree stumps emphasized the possible usage of the talons here… today!"

"The Thievius Raccoonus made numerous references about the talons slicing capabilities. A skilled lumberjack like Jean Bison wielding the powerful artifacts could level forests within an hour's time at least. Those talons have got to go. Not only would we be putting an end to Clockwerk's rain of terror permanently, but we would also be giving the environment a break. The world doesn't have enough breathing space for another strip mall.

So, setting up shop in an abandoned shack on the perimeter of Jean Bison's logging industry surrounded by wide expanses of coastal areas as we were so close to the ocean, the gang prepared itself for another big rumble. We had to find the causes of the Northern light disturbances, if we were to restore balance to the ways of life along the Northern frontier, as well as re-stabilize the environment."

* * *

_**Canada…**_

_**Jean Bison's lumberjack camp...**_

_**Cooper gang safe house**_

All was quiet at this time of night. The Northern lights shone brightly overhead, creating a warm glow to fall upon the surrounding mountains and light up a wide expanse of area, making it appear to be dawn. Even though it wasn't, it was the perfect time for Sly and the gang to plot and image their way through to the final phases of their mission to reclaim the Clockwerk parts and destroy them when they were all thrown together in one hefty pile.

All around the Canadian snow covered landscapes under the glow of the Northern lights you could see the fully detailed geographical image of Jean Bison's lumberjack camp. Dividing it from the rest of the civilized world was a range of tree capped mountains and high cliffs. It was this that bordered the entire area and kept unwanted travelers out. To deep to travel in on foot, the Cooper gang had to get here via the Team van. Of course, it was hard to find a proper hiding place for the van but they eventually hid it in a cave along the edge of the ice lake recently frozen from freezing cold temperatures. The van blended in well against the white and light blue ice.

Aside from the obvious high cliffs and point surrounding the lumber jack camp, there was of course the camp itself. It was simply made up of large and small shacks built all around the hilly region that stretched as far a small village. Wooden poles with wires crossing from one to another signified the communication's ability Jean Bison had, allowing him to speak with his men without moving from his primary shack, which was positioned atop of the highest hill in the centre of the camp. It stood out the most out of all the buildings in the area, and was perhaps the most highly decorated. It still held its original color, but on the roofs, it sported antelope bucks and fur skins for insulation of the entire building. The windows were covered so there was no telling what Jean Bison would be up to.

Surrounding Jean Bison's shack was his entire operation. Guards patrolled the paths and roads, all of which were under Jean Bison's command. There were no signs of other would be hired goons or mercenary garrisons, so that eliminated one obstacle. However, the immense amount of guards already on station here would make the operation all the more difficult, especially for those Cooper gang members who lacked the physical endurance to put up a good fight.

Making up Jean Bison's entire base of operations were only a couple of log cutting houses. Wooden slides exiting the logging houses ran down into the river where sliced up logs would slide down under the guidance of water and land in the cool rivers, creating the image Jean Bison saw of taming the wild North. Anyone would consider it cruel and heartless with no consideration toward the environment. What a waste!

With the river clogged and the forests vanishing faster then the Northern lights themselves, Canada couldn't have been in an anymore worse state. However, that would soon all change when the Cooper gang would step down on it as justly as they can. In order to put an end to Jean Bison's rampaging power grabbing lust, they had to stop Jean Bison himself. But the question for the time being, added more to the mystery that needed to be solved. Where is the bison? He wasn't seen anywhere here so far, but the evidence of his presence was too great so he had to be on the premises somewhere. That puzzled the Cooper gang greatly as they sat in the safe house, tinkering with their gear as they waited for Bentley's announcement.

Inside the Cooper gang substitute safe house were the six Cooper gang members, all of which were sitting around doing whatever they could to enlighten the situation. There were a few pieces of furniture lying around, as well as a round table and a few seats next to a uncovered window Bentley had opened to look out onto the lumberjack camp. Despite the light that was brought into the shack, it was still a little dark, meaning Bentley needed to work at his computer by candle light.

While Bentley was typing away at his laptop set up on the table, Sly sat beside him and watched what he was doing closely at the same time Carmelita stood behind him, peering over their shoulders toward the computer screen. Both Carmelita and Sly were eager to get going on this operation and had been waiting for hours, but whenever they asked if Bentley was ready, the turtle merely replied to give him a couple more minutes. But that saying was long tuned out as those 'couple of minutes' had turned into several hours worth. Now Sly and Carmelita were itching to go into action.

As for the rest of the gang, they did whatever they could to pass the time. Murray, who for some reason was more bored then the rest of the gang's members made light of the situation by doing push-ups and sit-ups, at the same time honing in on his special powering up moves such as his fabulous 'Fists of Flame' and his newly acquired 'Berserker Charge'. With this new acquisition added to his skill list, Murray could make do with opponents post haste. But while he was busy working on his abs, Videl and Gohan occupied themselves with other means to pass the time.

Sitting on the couch, Videl was busy sorting out some of her personal effects… in other words, cleaning her weapons. Having become _Weapons Specialist_ shortly after joining the gang, Videl pride herself by showing off her big guns. It was understandable that her taste for weaponry lay in her abilities to handle big, powerful weapons and the Team respected her for it. She was never allowed to use the weapons she had always wanted to use back while working with Interpol but now that she was free, she could use them as freely as she wanted too. Her personal favorites included the IMI Desert Eagle, the Smith and Wesson M29 (44 Magnum), and her most powerful of all, the Franchi Spas 12 or better known as the 12 Gauge auto-loading shotgun. Capable of punching holes through a truck's engine and making even the most formidable opponents think twice, this beautifully made weapon was Videl's ideal choice of primary firearms as it also allowed one handed use, could fire shots rapidly and carry a maximum of 12 highly packed rounds. Villains had a right to fear Videl's wrath.

While Videl silently sorted out her fire arms, Gohan was busy working on his own weapons. However, these weapons took the form of swords, and not fire arms like Videl. With their sparkling gold blades shining in the light of the lamp hanging above their heads, Gohan wiped his swords down with a cloth. Keeping his weapons in prime condition, Gohan planned on a nice, clean cut without the tell tail signs of his victim's blood on it. It was slightly harder to sharpen his blades since they were curved but all he had to do was divide the blade up and sharpen the areas he had selected, making the job all the more easier. This cleaning job the simplest of tasks, since all he was doing was polishing the blades.

Sitting cross legged on the floor with his over top gi removed and folded neatly by his side along with two sheaths and his second sword, Gohan continued working quietly. Giving his eyes a break he had removed his mask. Apparently, he had given his mask a switch two. Finding the old fabricated design uncomfortable and more prone to catching alight or getting caught on corners and other objects, Gohan shopped out and chose a mask similar to Sly's, only it didn't have any annoying straps that would get in the way. All he had to do was simply slip it onto his nose and eyes, where it would sit firmly without falling off. It was far more efficient than his old mask.

All seemed to be going well for the time being as the group continued with their chores, readying themselves for their next operation. Whenever that was…

Waiting didn't last any longer either for within the hour Bentley had finally completed his detailed and well planned operation on computer and in clean geographical form, which had always worked in the past; even though they had hit a few dead ends along the way. Whatever the case, Bentley was done. Concluding the drawn up plan with his trademark 'Bentley symbol', the turtle let out a cheer, grabbing everyone's attention. In his fit of celebrations, he never failed at catching everyone by surprise. Even Sly and Carmelita jumped in their seats at the sudden announcement; perfect evidence of them sort of dozing off in their patience.

"Ladies and gentlemen, prepare to be amazed and overjoyed, as I have finally come up with our plan of attack on Jean Bison's lumberjack camp. Please gather around", said Bentley, bidding everyone to sit around the table. Murray was the first of the three separate party members to arrive as he was just finishing off his exercise session. Videl took a little longer because she was covered in pieces of weaponry and Gohan had to put both his swords into their sheaths before he rejoined the group at the table. Pulling up chairs, all three of them sat round Bentley's computer with Bentley himself as their teacher. It was like being in school again.

Seeing all eyes on him, Bentley began with his usual slideshow or computer enhanced talk. As per granted and as usual, he started at the top. "Now, as you all know Jean Bison isn't a very social type of person yet keeps a lot of workers and guards close at hand. By telling you this I plainly point out his immense lumberjack camp, the main base of operations and home to the secluded bison. However, as we haven't caught glimpse of him just yet at this base, it is safe to say that we ought to be on our toes until we do eventually find him. Because when we do, we must make a grab for those Clockwerk talons. Unguarded or not, a full out assault on his base is in order", said Bentley. Unlike the turtle, everyone else was looking more enthusiastic by the second.

Murray grinned and punched his palm with his left fist. "Oh yeah! Finally something good! A brutal brawl between the good and the bad as we fight against impossible odds and bring our fist of justice down upon these tree abusers", exclaimed Murray in his booming loud voice. His muscles were all pumped and ready for action, and Gohan could sense it. However, just like everybody else, he had to back off a little at Murray's sugar loaded ways, for fear of getting hit by one of his fists. Even Gohan had to admit Murray packed a hell of a punch.

Bentley nodded and straightened his British WWI military helmet, tipping the disk of a headwear back into position. "Yes, yes, yes, yes all in good time Murray. But since we have not spotted Jean Bison yet I'm afraid our assault would have to be postponed. First thing's first, we must find out the disturbance of the disappearing Northern lights. If my sources are correct, the disappearance of the lights is occurring somewhere on this base. Since we followed the lights to this here region, we must be getting close."

The gang looked at each other for a moment then looked back, nodding in response. They were a bit disappointed about Bentley saying that their attack would have to be postponed, but they were willing to participate in any way they could in order for this mission to succeed. Seeing their attention return to him, Bentley continued. "OK, so first off we must find out what Jean Bison is secretly brewing down here. By following some well placed clues, sources and after looking at the geographical features of this base, I have discovered something strange. I found that the Northern lights were dropping in altitude, were circulating and mysteriously fading in this here area. Can any of you tell me what is in this area here", asked Bentley, turning the computer round and pointing out the part of the computer screen where he had drawn up a virtual circle colored red.

The entire band of thieves leaned forward to take a closer look at the part of the map Bentley had circled and took their time in taking in the layout of the map he had drawn up. After some time, they finally realized what Bentley had pointed out and looked up at him. Carmelita raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"A water tower", she said. Bentley nodded, just as Videl let her opinion be known.

"That can't be right", commented the girl in as much of a puzzled tone as Carmelita.

"How could a water tower steal the Northern lights right out of the sky? Is it even possible to accomplish", asked Sly. Gohan was still looking the map over, taking in its layout. Of course, he saw that the map was well accurate and from his studying of reading geographical features, Bentley had drawn it up right down to every single outhouse in the area. Without any reconnaissance photos to aid him or any real information on Jean Bison's actual camp, he was rather impressed. Bentley's skill and confidence was growing with each heist, and he figured the whole gang had caught onto Bentley's growing strengths as well.

Gohan looked up at Bentley and shrugged. "Does Jean Bison even have the proper technology for this kind of thing? He would have taken into account that with the Northern lights disappearing every night, someone would be bound to notice", suggested Gohan. Bentley scratched his forehead under his helmet.

"By the set up of this base, it would be impossible for anyone to find it. Jean Bison had planned this entire thing from the start, rigging every shack with security systems so to catch any unwanted guests. Fortunately I had brought along the proper technology to bypass these sort of things. Doing this, I was able to narrow everything down to the one place where Jean Bison would more likely build his device for stealing the Northern lights", said the turtle, straightening his glasses and looking back down at his computer. "Upon some careful analysis and spy work, I was able to come up with this map and the location of the source of the disappearing Northern lights. My conclusion… Jean Bison had got his hands on a Northern light battery."

The gang looked a little surprised, especially Carmelita and Videl. The two cops looked out the window toward the glowing auras of lights in the skies before looking back at Bentley.

"But how?" asked Videl. Carmelita raised an eyebrow toward the turtle again, suspiciously and in confusion. Sly, Murray and Gohan were listening closely so for Bentley's answer but were also listening to Carmelita and Videl's minded questions.

"Those things are hard to get. Unless Jean Bison had some outside help of getting his hands on such an apparatus", said Videl. Murray rubbed the back of his head before looking up at the two former cops.

"Uhh… question! Just what exactly is this so called 'Northern light battery? Sounds pretty high-tech'", said the hippo. Carmelita turned to Murray and pointed out the window in the direction of the water tower Bentley had managed to draw perfectly up on his computer screen. It would be best to point out the actual thing then use a smaller version of it. It was best to get a visual display then describe the actual layout of the device on the wind.

"A Northern light battery is an energy collector, not the sort you would find in your every day warehouse store. This device was deemed illegal by the United Nations ever since the piece of machinery used to gather the auras from the skies effected the temperature of the planet, turning everything almost ice cold. The invention was first attempted in Sweden but failed miserable and was taken off the market. However, the device was real successful in gathering massive amounts of power and when distributed was capable of powering an entire state", said Carmelita. Bentley nodded.

"Indeed. The after effects of the energy collector are tragic the power the battery was able to hold was incredible. Able to enhance the auras collected energy 10 fold, it would be more then enough to suit Jean Bison's purposes. Of course, it is possible to make one from scratch, with the right tools and with the right brains on the job. It's easy to tell that Jean Bison isn't the intellectually possessive type but is smart in some ways. Anyway, how else I was able to find out the location of the device is simple. That water tower is the only suitable place to store such a powerful item and is the most well guarded place in the entire camp", said Bentley. Sly shrugged and leaned back, hands behind his head.

"Not very subtle, posting full time guards around such a tall asset to Jean Bison's camp", said Sly. Gohan smirked and cracked his knuckles.

"Is this where we dispense with the security around the place", asked Gohan. Bentley smiled and shrugged.

"What do you think my answer would be? Of course! With the Northern light battery out of commission, we'll have clear skies to carry out the rest of our operation whereas Jean Bison's logging operation would be severely crippled. So let's pack it up and move it out, we've got a water tower to break into!"

* * *

Leaving the safe house empty and deprived of all and any evidence of their presence, the Cooper gang set off for the water tower. Loaded with full packs of supplies and ammunition needed to bring down the large structure they were aiming for, the gang was filled with confidence at the success of this operation and what would occur later onwards. However, what they forgot to check up on was their van, which was still stored on the icy river where all their Clockwerk parts they had recently and not long ago acquired were hidden. It was not a good idea on their part to leave it unchecked, but from what the gang had been through already, they felt no need to keep everything safe and under lock and key. But it was still of some concern that their only getaway vehicle was parked on ice that was a part of a coastal area that led out into the open ocean. Who knows what could happen in the time of their absence.

Sprinting through the quiet camp, carefully avoiding all the guards they could so to not alert the attention of the other guards patrolling the area around the water tower, the gang moved on. They planned to take down the tower with very little opposition. The smaller guard the better and the more time they would have taking down the water tower. All in a day's work for a small section of well trained thieves.

Making sure everyone was in sync, the gang approached the tower cautiously but at a quick earned pace. With Sly in the lead, followed by Gohan, Videl and Carmelita as they were the fastest of the troop, made sure the road ahead was clear. Murray and Bentley came rushing close behind, with Murray providing Bentley the physical strength and protection the turtle needed, seeing as that the turtle lacked the proper assets and abilities to go into a full on fight without suffering serious and maybe severe injuries. Bentley wasn't ashamed though at his lack of strength like the rest of his friends. In fact he was rather grateful for his Sly, Gohan and Murray looking out for him, as he would look out for them. He was still getting used to Carmelita and Videl's presence in the group.

Anyway, by passing the many shacks and houses making up Jean Bison's camp, the gang reached the water tower shortly after. Encountering little or no trouble at all, the gang scattered themselves round the tower and upon moving into positions, looked up at the steel structure before them, its shadow casting over their heads. As suspected, the Northern lights were directly above the water tower, and from the looks of it have weakened in the past few minutes. If they knew any better from Carmelita and Bentley's information, the Northern light absorber and battery were steadily drawing the light energies from the sky, weakening the natural aura of the North. They had to put a stop to it now.

Looking over the structure, Murray scratched his head in thought before looking down at Bentley beside him. Gohan and Videl were next to the turtle while Sly and Carmelita stood beside Murray, also taking in the water tower's perplexing design. "Wow… this water filter thing sure is big. Are you sure we can blow this thing up", asked the hippo. Bentley scratched his chin, his glasses flashing as he looked over the water tower again.

"Yes of course, with the proper amount of explosives, well placed C4 charges and a little bit of slow burning wire, we could turn this old dinosaur into as smoking pile of debris in seconds… without upsetting the environment and melting the ice caps in the process", said Bentley. Murray nodded, although was inwardly disappointed.

"Oh… OK then. Lets get this show on the road", exclaimed Murray, rather loudly. Carmelita gritted her teeth nervously then turned her attention to Murray.

"Shhh… quiet down Murray", hushed Carmelita, "We don't want to alert any of the nearby guards that we're here!" Murray tucked his head in, shrinking his neck downward in mild embarrassment.

"Sorry…" he whispered this time. Carmelita breathed a sigh of relief and nodded her head a couple of times.

"That's OK", she replied. Sly on the other hand was still looking around the place, as was Gohan and Videl. Outwardly, they were hoping of seeing an immense fireworks display anytime soon once Bentley had set the charges to blow the water tower to kingdom come. On the other hand, inwardly they were confused, let alone puzzled. The thing that concerned them most was the lack of security there was at this point in time. In other words, where the hell were the guards?

"Uhh… Bentley, don't you think we are overlooking one important fact", asked Sly. Bentley glanced over at Sly and raised a curious eyebrow.

"What? What is it", asked the turtle in reply. Videl and Gohan looked over at Bentley and shrugged.

"Where are all the guards", asked Videl.

"Surely they would be on duty right now wouldn't they", said Gohan. Bentley, finally realizing this looked back up at the water tower in thought. Noticing the lack of workers atop of the tower glanced down at the floor, scratching his chin. Right now, he was worried.

"I… I-I don't know. They couldn't just leave this place unguarded. This isn't right!" shouted Bentley.

"Of course this isn't right. That's why you six have walked right into a trap", continued a voice from behind the group. Shocked and surprised, the entire gang spun around and focused their attention on the person who had spoken. Bewildering, as well as surprising them even more, the gang's eyes fell upon the known and unwanted figure of Jean Bison. The bison was glaring at them with his cold blue eyes with his thick, wooden cane held firmly in his right hand with the Clockwerk talons shining brightly in the lights of the aurora borealis above them.

Turning around fully, Carmelita and Sly gritted their teeth in sort of anger and frustration, their fists clenching tightly. "Jean Bison", they hissed. Bentley turned around as well and drew his crossbow in anticipation.

"What!? This can't be", exclaimed Bentley. Murray growled and also turned around fully, his footsteps shaking the earth beneath him as he pounded his fists together in a threatening way.

"Of course it is. This giant moose has come for a thrashing", roared Murray, keeping his temper in check. Jean Bison chuckled but waved his free hand in the air. He allowed their shock and suggestions, as well as threatening talk float by without affecting him in the least. Of course, he was feeling rather confident, despite the odds stacked against him.

"No, no, no, no", eased the bison confidently before pointing at the six of them accusingly with his claw like hands. "I'm afraid that you six are in for a thrashing. I had gotten a reliable tip that you boys were in by district and therefore planned ahead. So…I'm afraid I'll have to take you all in", stated Jean Bison. Sly and Gohan stepped forward, drawing their weapons and preparing to attack almost. Dropping into fighting stances, they bore their weapons in a threatening manner.

"Oh yeah!" Sly mocked.

"You and what army", asked Gohan. Jean Bison grinned and stroked the hair of his beard before nodding over his shoulder.

"Me and this army! Come on out boys!" shouted the bison. In a split second, clicking could be heard and the loud roars of hundreds of men were heard. The gang backed up in shock, their eyes looking around them as they were suddenly confronted by an entire garrison of Jean Bison's guards. Their were tons of flashlight guards, all of them directing the muzzles of their double barreled shot guns at them all, each one picking their targets. The duck guards wielding the shovels and ice picks also surrounded them taking stances in preparation of attack from their trapped victims. To add to the liter, a couple of the duck guards were wielding M85 sniper rifles, each one enhanced with a scope and flash torch. Despite the overwhelming odds, Gohan knew that he could take them. However, he also took into account that his friends, although as tough as they were, could not dodge or block bullets and were at this time vulnerable, so remained still.

Jean Bison had them trapped. Trapped like rats. The bison chuckled in amusement and was overjoyed at finally capturing the gang that had been giving him so much trouble.

"Smart", exclaimed the bison, seeing Gohan and Sly drop out of fighting stances and put their weapons away. "But I believe that certain compensation is in order for your trespassing on my property. However since none of you have anything of substantial value to me, I'll just take them Clockwerk parts you have in your van. Where is it?" asked the bison. Bentley and the rest of the gang were shocked. How could he have known?

"W-What", stuttered Bentley, rather loudly. Jean Bison huffed, a little annoyed of his new prisoners' insolence. Slowly, a couple of flash light guards approached the group from behind while the rest of them stayed back in defense and giving their comrades cover fire.

"You know what I mean. Hand over the Clockwerk parts, and I just may spare your lives", said Jean Bison. Carmelita growled and stepped forward.

"No way", she stated. Sly and Murray took stances while Gohan remained firmly posted where he stood.

"We won't let you get your greasy hands on those parts", said Sly.

"Not unless you want the teeth kicked out of you", growled Murray. Jean Bison chuckled and shrugged.

"Now that's mean. But I see no reason to surrender to you. Clearly I have you outmatched as well as outnumbered by a twelve to one margin. But seeing as you don't want to do this the easy way then so be it". In one swift motion, Jean Bison threw forward from behind him what appeared to be a coconut. Watching the wooden ball fly through the air and land at their feet in the snow in front of them, the gang looked at each other curiously before looking back up.

"What is that supposed to be", asked Videl in amusement. Jean Bison grinned.

"A sleep bomb", he simply stated in his deep, mountain voice. Before the others could say a word or any sassy comment, the coconut or bomb the bison had thrown to them triggered. Within seconds, all six Cooper gang members were engulfed in green fumes. Inhaling the gas, all those caught in the cloud started coughing and within seconds, all of them keeled over, unconscious. Gohan, being tougher then the rest of them didn't feel the effects of the gas for a while before the stronger effects kicked in. He started coughing as well and was indeed surprised. But when he sniffed the fumes at what they were he cursed at himself.

"Delta gas", Gohan chocked falling to his knees. He heard a loud chuckle above him and with teary eyes, looked up.

"That's right youngster, I see you know the effects of the fumes since it comes from the essence of a rare, rich plant grown only on high mountains. Oh well… too bad. Night", said Jean Bison, the red furred mountain man emerging through the clearing of the cloud of gas. Gohan shuddered and trembled, his strength weakening slowly. But as soon as the gas cleared, he collapsed, his muscles collapsing under the strain of the gas's effects.

Soon enough… everything went black and the entire gang was out like a light…

* * *

_**Hours later…**_

Regaining consciousness, Gohan let out a loud groan and, feeling a wooden surface beneath him, pushed off whatever it was he was lying on and shook his head, shaking off the after effects of waking up. Gripping his still throbbing head, the young Saiyan opened his eyes and looked up and around him. What state he found himself in was perplexing, as was the position his friends were in too. Fortunately, wherever they were, they were all trapped together and in the same place.

Besides the presence of all his friends who were at this moment regaining consciousness, Gohan found that the holding cell they were imprisoned in, if memory served him well that was what Jean Bison would have shoved them in, quite awkward. For starters, the room wasn't that big, roughly about the same size as a house's interior bathroom but certainly did not posses the same authentic and elaborate qualities whatsoever. Secondly, the walls were poorly built, perhaps was quickly constructed during the time period of unconsciousness. Unfortunately, no stockade or proper holding cells had been constructed at Jean Bison's lumberjack camp, advertising the short notice of their arrival. From clear observations, Gohan saw that the walls were nailed together by two by fours, timber, wooden boards and logs, with many crates of what he judged to be TNT and explosives making up the interior of the walls. That was not good on their part. Thirdly, and perhaps lastly was that the roof and floor were both floor boarded however, not wanting to press the matter, Gohan was certain that Crates of TNT and other explosives were piled up both above them and below them to prevent any escape. Bad…

After taking in the full scale of their situation, Gohan stood up and rubbed the back of his head. In so doing, he noticed yet another puzzling thing. He still had his swords. Looking about the room, he saw that his friend's including Videl, still had all their weapons and equipment. Now that was what he thought of was odd.

After recovering fully from unconsciousness, the rest of the Cooper gang staggered to their feet, all of them groaning from the throbbing of their heads and the uncomfortable positions they were in. Being stuffed in the same holding cell did tend to do that, but it was perhaps just the after effects of the sleeping gas. Anyway, once the gang was on their feet, they all looked around them at the holding cell they were in and after remembering what had happened, were lowered in both mood and spirit.

"W-Where are we? This certainly isn't a prison cell, unless Jean Bison was even smarter then we gave him credit for", said Carmelita, taking note of the room's interior and crates of TNT scattered around them. Videl looked about her and noticed it too and shrugged, her face possessing the same confused expression as Carmelita.

"Not sure. But from the looks of it he has gone all out in keeping us locked up in here and with no escape routes", said Videl. Bentley rubbed his chin in thought but winced when he felt the soreness in his arms.

"I'm presuming Jean Bison constructed this on short notice. If you take in the manner of construction and build of this… cell, I'll also conclude that he was aware of our capabilities, especially yours Gohan", said Bentley. Gohan nodded in agreement.

"I guess so. Well, he certainly was smart. If I attempt to blow our way out of here or punch a hole through the walls, I may as well blow us all into oblivion. There is enough explosives in here to destroy a block of houses, and I wouldn't want to accidentally set off any pressure switches with my punches", replied Gohan, placing his hands on his hips. Sly looked up and around him more over with his tail moving at random behind him. As expert of escapes and observing possible routes to their advantage, Sly used this opportunity to continue taking in the layout of their holding cell.

Murray was now real nervous. Of course he loved explosions and destruction, but he hated it when he and his friends were right in the middle of it. He was more accustomed to the bashing and fighting at close range. "Well… what do we do? There has to be a way out of here! Where there's a will… there has to be a way", shouted Murray. Sly looked down around the base of the square room. It was after passing over some of the more loosely placed crates of TNT did he notice something very familiar to him. An escape route in the form of a large pipe fitted into the side of the cell. This pipe of course, though too small for him or anyone else to fit through was the perfect size for Bentley.

"And I think I just found a way guys. There's a pipe right over here, I think it might lead to a way out of here", said Sly, pointing out the blue hollow cylinder embedded at the base of the wall. The gang noticed it too and all of them were delighted however, when they saw the size of the tube, their spirits lowered again. Murray growled in frustration and punched his fists together.

"Damn, but it's too small Sly, what good can it be too us?" asked Murray. Sly smiled and glanced over at Bentley. Everyone else followed Sly's gaze and when they found it to have landed on Bentley they all began making comparisons between their turtle friend and the tight tube exit route. When they came to the realization of Bentley's size and form, they were most pleased and all of them smiled. Bentley noticed the mischievous smiles on their faces and gulped, backing up till he hit the wall behind him.

"Uhh… guys… you don't want me too uhh… crawl through the tube do you…" stuttered Bentley, afraid of the answer that would come soon enough. In exact unison, the gang nodded.

"Of course Bentley, you're the only one small enough to fit through there", said Gohan. Videl smiled at him in sort of hope.

"Come on Bentley, you have to do it. If it leads to a way out, then you just might be able to get us all out of here", said the raven haired girl. Bentley looked from one face to another, and then looked around the room. Thinking of no other alternative and realizing that there was no other escape route or exit to this, Bentley let out a sigh and nodded, sulking on the spot.

"Alright guys, I'll do it", said the turtle. Murray cheered, just as everyone began to look even more cheerful by the second.

"Oh yeah Bentley, that's the positive attitude we need to hear", exclaimed the hippo. Bentley waved his hands in front of him in an almost 'hold it' way.

"OK guys! Cool your jets you're making me nervous. Look if that pipe leads to a way out and that wherever I end up will be the solution to this problem, I contact you through our ear pieces alright. Come on, give me a boost", said Bentley, walking over to the pipe and tucking himself into his shell, his weapons and everything else joining him. Sly and Gohan, being the closest to the pipe picked the turtle up and carefully, pushed him into the pipe. They heard a scream though when Bentley's shell went careering down the pipe, probably from the turtle himself.

* * *

A slight rumbling and clanging of metal against something hard was heard as Bentley came soaring out of the pipe and landing ten meters down onto a hard surface. Immediately after impact, Bentley popped out of his shell, legs and all with his equipment all still in one piece. Seeing as that his helmet had been messed up in his fall, he straightened it, along with his glasses. Once they were all back into comfortable positions, Bentley took his time in examining the room where he had dropped in.

As it turns out he had dropped into a giant warehouse like room, almost perfect for a tool shed. The room had to be 50 by 50 meters on the perimeter and the walls were made up of logs. There were a couple of windows along the walls and they were all open. The orange sky outside indicated that it was sunset, making Bentley realized that he and his friends had been unconscious for hours. But that wasn't really much of a concern. All across the floor around Bentley were materials and warehouse equipment. Large vents in the floor glowing red indicated operational furnaces. The metallic lined slits in the ground indicated buzz saws and the logs chained up on the roof showed that they were needed to be cut up. From observations, they had to come from large trees to be that big. The room was only lit up by lamps hanging off the walls and Bentley also noticed around him, there were switches and panels. Perhaps these were used to operate the furnaces and buzz saw. He would find out in time.

While Bentley was taking in the features of the room he had fallen in to, he was suddenly interrupted by a voice appearing in his ear piece and quickly put his finger to his ear, answering the call.

"**_Hey Bentley, you alright? We heard you scream",_** came Gohan's concerned voice. Bentley nodded and rubbed his head or… uhh, helmet as it was right now covering his head.

"Yeah, I'm fine Gohan, except by butt's a little sore. But that isn't anything to worry about. I seem to have dropped into a lumberjack warehouse. There are buzz saws and furnaces around me", Bentley replied. Gohan nodded on his end and responded.

"**_That's interesting. Hmm… see any panels that might get us out of here?"_** asked Gohan. Bentley looked up from where he had fallen. To his surprise, the cell that his friends were in was crated and nailed shut on all sides. Fortunately, Bentley spotted a hatch at the base of the boxed up crate above him. There was no other way out; the rest of it was nailed firmly to the ceiling of the room he was in.

"Well Gohan, I seem to have found what state you guys are in now. Unfortunately there are hundreds of panels and flash boards in here, I don't know which one to pull", said Bentley, becoming more nervous and brain boggled by the minute. Gohan shrugged and replied.

"**_Well, you may have to pull each switch to find out which is the one to let us out. But be sure to keep away from the furnaces. From what I can hear from you, I say that they are in perhaps very dangerous posi… o-oh… LOOK OUT BEHIND YOU!"_** Gohan suddenly shouted. Bentley, reacting to this spun around and jumped in shock when he saw the massive figure of Jean Bison standing behind him, a pissed and rather infuriated expression on his face. However, he was inwardly pleased. But that fact remained unbeknown to Bentley who was now trembling with fear.

"So little runt… managed to escape huh?" said Jean Bison with clenched fists. Bentley, having recovered from his shock combined with a stupor then stood his ground and gritted his teeth. He bit back the urge to run like a coward and pointed at the massive Jean Bison who, by far, was much stronger then him. But Bentley had a few tricks up his sleeve, as well as a lot of bravery.

"You! You let my friends go, and I might just consider not pummeling you now", shouted Bentley. The rest of the gang, who could over hear Bentley arguing with Jean Bison over their ear pieces and binocucom's were rather surprised, and impressed. Bentley was far braver a man then either of them.

Jean Bison laughed out loud in pure amusement. "You… beat me!? Dream on squirt, because you don't have the strength to beat up even the weakest of my guards", said Jean Bison. Bentley growled and glared at Jean Bison through narrowed eyes.

"Oh yeah, well brains always beats brawn, as the saying goes. That of course you lack", stated Bentley in rebuttal form. Jean Bison chuckled.

"That may be true… but who has the Clockwerk parts now eh!? My guards found your would be Team van on my property next to an abandoned shack inside a cave on the coast line. Not much of a hiding place I should say. We raided your stinking van and took the Clockwerk parts, but we left the rest of your trash on board. With all the parts in one basket, I sold them all to Arpeggio and made a ton of cash!" said Jean Bison. Bentley's mouth nearly dropped to the floor as his eyes shot wide open in shock. The Cooper gang trapped in the crate above him heard it too and all of them were in shocked states.

"You WHAT!?" shouted Bentley. Jean Bison grinned and leered at the insignificant turtle in front of him.

"Oh I just bargained for what I had earned. By the way…Arpeggio should be making good use of all the parts in my possession that are now in his. I also sold him the Clockwerk talons. That, and he should be coming to collect the Northern light battery any time soon now. Whatever he plans to do with it I can live with. I have no need for that hunk of junk. Not that this information would matter to you, as you will soon find your face flattened on the floor, the rest of your body thrown into a hot vat where I will melt you down and turn you into turtle SOUP", roared the bison, slamming his fist down on the ground and shaking the entire warehouse. This almost threw Bentley off his feet and sort of freaked the rest of the gang up inside the crate holding cell.

Quickly recovering Bentley turned on his heel and made a run for it, the bison trudging after him. Jean Bison's footsteps shook the earth beneath him as he attempted to catch up with his now would be opponent. When Bentley reached the other end of the room, Gohan's voice crackled back into his ear piece. **_"Bentley, tell me, where exactly are the buzz saws and furnaces positioned",_** asked Gohan almost hurriedly. Bentley, huffing and puffing as he ran, glanced back onto the warehouse floor to double check on them. Jean Bison was following close behind but was amazingly slow because of his size, weight and age.

"Along the floor, why?" asked Bentley. Gohan smiled and nodded.

"**_That's a good thing Bentley. Look, there are two simultaneous switches up here from where we are held, Murray found them behind a box he was sitting on. They say they are connected to the furnaces and buzz saws below. Just lure Jean Bison onto either of the platforms and positions of the warehouse tools and tell us which one's to set off. It'll be pointless to fight him head on",_** concluded Gohan. Bentley, seeing the full extent of Gohan's plan nodded with a small smile but picked up the pace in his sprint when he heard the loud bull roar of Jean Bison coming up close behind him. Because he was running along the wall, they were just out of effective reach of the tools.

"Great plan Gohan… you just… work at the switches… I'll work at the voice! Be quick about it", shouted Bentley desperately. Gohan, hearing the hurried tone of his voice and words nodded and positioned himself in the crate.

"**_Alright Bentley, you just lure him into position, I'll set them off. It might take them a while to charge though, I don't think we would need it that much. Jean Bison wouldn't be able to withstand the strength of his own tools. OK! GO!"_** replied Gohan urgently. Bentley, with a nod, changed course, turning hard to his right and beginning his long run across the room. Jean Bison growled when his opponent changed direction and began spiting out of range. Therefore, the bison picked up his pace and began stomping after the turtle who was incredibly a fast runner.

"You little squirt! I'll get you", roared the bison, huffing as the turtle continued to run. Steam actually came out through the bison's nostrils as a sure sign of his animalistic fury. Taking a charging stance, he began sprinting after the turtle in a straight line, Bentley in his sights.

Bentley feeling Jean Bison coming up faster behind him, changed direction and, making sure he wasn't over the buzz saw slits, shouted. "GOHAN! SAW… BUZZ SAW!"

Immediately after shouting it and with Jean Bison in full line of the saw's strength, was hit full force by a silver, razor bladed disk coming up out of the ground and making a slicing noise as it shot across the slit. Jean Bison was hit by the disk in the leg and let out a scream, blood seeping out of the cut made. His skin however was tougher then it looked and the bison continued trudging after the turtle.

"**_Did you get him",_** asked Gohan. Bentley, seeing Jean Bison still after him freaked and continued sprinting round the room, the bison even more furious at his effort at trying to catch his opponent. When he saw that Bentley was now too far ahead, he began throwing stuff, rocks, pebbles, everything he had on him. He missed however and was forced to keep trudging after him, his footsteps still shaking the ground at his feet.

"He got hit by the saw but it didn't do much damage. Prepare to jump start the next one", replied Bentley, turning around while pulling out his crossbow. Jean Bison saw Bentley spin around and roared, using all his strength to move into a charging position. With a roar, he attacked, his head held forward and his footsteps rumbling the earth, shaking the entire warehouse violently.

Bentley, taking careful aim with his crossbow, pulled the trigger, the dart like projectile firing at high pressure proportions, shooting as fast as a bullet itself. The arrow struck Jean Bison in the shoulder and exploded on impact, a green gas filling and blinding Jean Bison's eyes. The bison screamed and came to a screeching stop, hammering his cane into the ground to support his sudden halt. He shook his head as the gas burned his eyes and filled his nostrils in the green fumes. Suddenly, he started to fell drowsy, after the burning effect had died down in his eyes, replacing the burns with tears. The bison let out a yawn and felt ready to fall flat over but shook off the tiring effects of the sleep dart and rubbed the shoulder where the arrow had hit him then turned to the side to see Bentley standing a few feet in front of a furnace, skipping on the spot and ready to run. The turtle glared up at the bison.

Jean Bison growled and, pulled his right hand back swung it at Bentley. The turtle, caught off guard was knocked back immensely by the blow and fell behind the furnace vent. He was thankful that his front shell was there to protect him and the pain he felt quickly subsided. However, he did have the wind knocked out of him.

Jean Bison huffed and stomped over to the downed turtle, gripping his cane in two hands before holding it up above his head, his eyes glaring down at the turtle. Though still feeling a bit drowsy and his vision blurring a bit, he was still able to see his target. What he didn't see however was that he was standing right over the furnace vent.

"Any last words squirt?" growled Jean Bison. Bentley smirked and, holding his finger to his ear nodded.

"Furnace on", screamed Bentley. Raising an eyebrow, Jean Bison looked beneath him and in a sudden gush of heat, the bison was consumed by fire as every furnace in the room activated, flames bursting into the air like a volcanic explosion. Bentley had to shield his eyes to block out the light and heat of the blast and, as the furnaces burned for several seconds, they died as quickly as they had come.

When Bentley looked back to inspect the damage done, he saw Jean Bison stagger backwards and off of the smoking furnace, his fur all in ashes and burnt with pieces of his clothes on fire. With his cane smoking, as well as the rest of his body, the bison crashed to the floor in an unconscious heap, his cane falling out of his hand and his eyes shutting. His face was just as burned as any other part of his body. Bentley grinned and let out a cheer.

"Yes! Brains beat brawn. Bentley triumphs", cheered the turtle. Just as he was standing with his fist raised and watching the bison's smoking, unconscious corpse lying on the ground, he suddenly heard his ear piece crackle into life and Gohan's voice make its appearance once more.

"**_Well done Bentley, great job! Now find that switch and get us out of here", _**said Gohan. Bentley, having been standing there for only a few seconds remembered the state and situation his friends were in and quickly went on his search for the switch needed to unlock the cell they were in. After rushing about the place looking at each panel, flashboard and power switch, he eventually found the switch he was looking for. Its cable ran up the wall, across the ceiling and toward the giant crate hanging above the warehouse floor. Giving it a try, Bentley pulled it, and a second later, the hatch at the bottom of the crate opened up.

Simultaneous screams were heard as in one big heap; the entire gang fell through the floor and plummeted toward the ground. Loud thuds were heard and dust lifted into the air from the impact of all five of Bentley's friends hitting the ground. A second later, the dust cleared and lifted, revealing a pile of the Cooper gang lying flat on their guts in all sorts of positions in front of the would be turtle. Murray was at the bottom of the pile with Gohan on top of him then Videl with Carmelita sprawled out on the floor having fallen off of the pile and Sly on his back with his legs on top of Videl. The entire gang was groaning in discomfort and from the throbbing soreness of their fall.

Bentley watched in surprise as they all staggered to their feet, rubbing the place they had fallen on or were mostly sore. Sly was rubbing his back while Videl and Carmelita were rubbing their backsides with Murray rubbing his head. They all glanced over at Bentley with Sly announcing his opinion.

"Bentley, next time… warning first", said the raccoon. Bentley grinned and rubbed the back of his head almost in the same way Gohan did when he was embarrassed or caught in a similar situation.

"Oh… sorry guys", he replied. However, he wasn't left like that for long when he remembered what Jean Bison had told him before. If Arpeggio was really on his way to collect the Northern light battery, then they still might have a chance to board whatever transport Arpeggio had and steal back the Clockwerk parts taken from them. There was no other way. They had to get back to the water tower.

"Come on, we have to get back to the Northern light battery", said Bentley hurriedly. The gang was surprised, but they didn't need to be told twice. They figured that Bentley had a plan. Now that their Clockwerk parts had been stolen from them, they knew that Bentley had a plan of getting them back.

Giving their friend a reassuring not, the gang followed the turtle across the room and out of the warehouse via the front door. They left not only a partially destroyed and used up room, but an unconscious Jean Bison. If they knew any better, Interpol would be on their way over and there was no chance of them being caught in the middle when the fire started to burn.

Exiting the warehouse into the cold, snowy landscapes, the gang was met with the wide expanse of Jean Bison's lumber camp. From the looks of it, they had been taken to Jean Bison's personal cabin where they had been held moments before. But that didn't matter now; their main priority at this point was getting to that water tower. This time, they were hoping of not getting caught. Immediately after being met with the biting cold of the outside world and the sight of Jean Bison's lumber camp, the team started their run across the frozen landscape. The water tower was on the other side of the camp and it would be a while till they would reach their objective.

Weaving through the various shacks and houses, at the same time not tripping in the snow or running into any guards, Bentley briefed his friends on their situation and what he planned to do.

"Listen, when we reach that tower, there should be a hatch at the top of it. If we climb to the top and squeeze inside, we should fall into the battery. Fortunately the Northern light batteries were designed with hollow centers as the components of the battery slowly transformed the lights energy into sustainable energy. Thankfully the energy has no effect on living cells so we'll be safe", said Bentley through heavy intakes of breath. The entire gang looked at Bentley oddly before looking back at the path ahead of them, shrugging.

After dashing through the snow and ice for several minutes, resisting the chill that bit at their heels, the gang arrived at the Northern light battery soon enough. Dispensing with the pep talk, one by one the climbed the ladder to the top of the water tower. Gohan was the first at the top and when he spotted the closed hatch, walked over and opened it. Stepping back he made sure all of his friend's were in. First Murray had to slip in because he was the biggest and perhaps the one most prone to get stuck. The hippo eventually got through, followed by Bentley, Carmelita, Sly and last but not least, Videl. Smiling at each other, Videl quickly leapt down the open hatch, closely followed by Gohan who closed the hatch top behind them and sealed it shut…

Silence…

* * *

_**Gohan's thoughts…**_

"As we shut ourselves into the Northern light battery, it became black. For a few long minutes, we just sat there in the dark. No one dared to talk for fear that Jean Bison's men would discover where we were hiding. And then, we felt it; a lurch of heavy duty force as we were being lifted up into Arpeggios blimp, a gigantic transport of battleship proportions with power far beyond any vehicle or device on the face of the planet. The light from the moon and the silhouetted night sky beamed into the battery through the vents, giving us the light we needed to see. But, even with the beauty the sky offered us, it failed to comfort us. The atmosphere inside the battery had sunk to a new low."

"It just felt so strange. The focus of all our thieving schemes thrown into this mission was shattered. Our Clockwerk parts were gone. Looking around the inside of the battery, I knew that we all felt it… failure. Sly was twitching on the spot where he sat, ready for action… any action! Bentley tried to make a light of the situation by drawing up meaningless plans, plans that even he admitted were to be pointless and useless for what was to come as we had no information or photographic images of what we would be pulled into next. Carmelita sat next to Sly, huddled up against him for comfort. For the first time in my life, I had never seen her so scared, so cold, so… defeated. It was as if the entire ordeal we have been through had broken a new perspective of the situation for us. Videl was also scared and latched onto me for the same comfort as Sly provided for Carmelita. After what we have been through, this was the worst for us all. I tried to ease my friends and Videl by any means possible, but all effort fell in vein. So, deciding it for the best, I sat and meditated, trying to find some possible solution to our problems. But, out of all of us… the entire gang, Murray took it the worst. He just sat by one of the open vents sobbing as the Team van floated onto the horizon on a block of ice, disappearing on the surface of the misty ocean. That van was his life. I knew that we had to find a way to make it up to him."

"But as time rolled on, we just sat or stood where we were, looking around the inside of the battery and at each other. All the while, we felt the lessening of gravity around us as we continued flying through the air at the end of whatever it was hauling us up to Arpeggio's blimp. During this time, the gang became quite intrigued by the lights floating around us inside of the battery. It was beautiful. How such a pure aura could be put to uses that would be turned against nature itself from where it had come from. It was like being inside a dome projecting us images and holograms of all sorts. Me and Videl made ourselves comfortable and watched the aura's float around us, taking in the warmth created by the rainbow. In spite of how desperate and tense the situation for us looked now, we couldn't help but stay close and share our time in this manner like this. But we realized that sooner or later… we would be moving into action again."

TO BE CONTINUED…


	20. Anatomy for Disaster

DRAGONBALL Z **meets _Sly Cooper_**

_ANATOMY FOR** DISASTER**_

_**Sly's thoughts…**_

"And so there we were, heading East over the Atlantic Ocean, stowaways on a giant flying fortress. Though the gang was still in a deep state of shock and disbelief, we quickly gathered up our pieces and used the very little time we had to study up on our unknown host…Arpeggio."

"When he was a boy, the young Arpeggio attended a prestige boarding school where he excelled in all subjects. However, as time grew on and so did he, he Arpeggio never managed to keep up with the other students physically. His wings, due to their small size, were never really adept for flying and so, Arpeggio was grounded. The following years after he had graduated, he never really fitted into the community as well as all the other birds for he was forced to walk, unable to fly because of his weakened state. However, because of his strong mind, he grew up well in the rich party where his inventions earned him millions and his intelligence earned him a place on the scientific wings of high society. But despite all the glory he received for his work, he still never felt happy at himself."

"Furious at his feeble body, Arpeggio focused his powerful mind on a ways of finding a cure by looking through the historic relics of the Old Italian Renaissance masters. Leonardo Da Vinci's inventions as well as his theory's in his work provided Arpeggio with the screws, gears and spring loads he needed to create machinery allowing him to fly and walk without the use of his own little feet. People found the young Arpeggio a powerful entity in his world and greatly soon respected him for it, giving him the title the 'Sky High Genius'. However, when Arpeggio became fed up with his life of peace and prosperity, he formulated the Klaww gang, and the entire group took him in as Chief machinist. His skill and intelligence must have been responsible for the schemes each Klaww gang member had put the Clockwerk parts to for their use and how they must have gotten their hands on it in the first place. Not even Carmelita and Videl could deny it."

"But now the young genius was in possession of all the parts. Having first acquired the brain of Clockwerk at the start, there was a good chance that Arpeggio, the last real threat to the world and the last member of the Klaww gang would be putting all the Clockwerk parts together… and a newly built and far more powerful Clockwerk would be unleashed. Whatever plan Arpeggio had with those parts was beyond us, but when… if he puts the parts together… well… we're not going to let that happen!"

* * *

_**Arpeggios blimp…**_

_**High above the earth's surface…**_

The sight of Arpeggio's blimp would have struck fear in anyone who saw it approaching over the horizon. But because the blimp was flying, suspended above the clouds, the blimp was undetected by any wandering eyes. However, if it were to fly at a low altitude, then the people on the ground would have claimed they saw a giant skeleton coming down from the skies. An omen of evil you would say. However, good technology was the only thing they should truly fear.

It has already been established that Arpeggio's blimp was like a fortress, mounted with heavy cannons and anti-air and tank gun positions. However, because of its size, it needed to carry light weight equipment. Arpeggio made up for his blimp's size and weight by adding more devices that would keep his massive flying fortress afloat. Massive propeller blades, secured balloons filled with helium, support and balance fins and smaller blimps tied to the metal frames, making up the entire structure of Arpeggio's blimp kept it flying high. All of the smaller devices and balloons were based around a central frame work where the largest of all propeller blades spun round at high speeds, keeping the air flow downward at the same time keeping the large machine up in the air. As dangerous as the flying fortress was and being dangerous to its own crew members, safety railings were built along the walkways to keep the passengers, workers and soldiers on deck. Of course, Arpeggio never failed to notice the increasing dangers he was putting himself in so provided himself with a vast garrison of soldiers who stood guard on his blimp and provided him protection. He couldn't always rely on machinery so he brought in man power.

Crossing over the decks of and along the walkways of Arpeggio's blimp at all levels, his soldiers kept watch. An entire arsenal of riot guards and spotlight guards were on patrol, as well as flight officers, gunner crews and soldiers. Arpeggio's armed garrison consisted of different species of birds and a small section of humans. His spot light guards was an immense group of anthropomorphic parrots, all of them enhanced with height increasing body frames that made them tall and look all the more fearsome. Aside from that, they were dressed in pilot uniforms, wore goggles and on their shoulder guards, on the right they had flash lights and on the left a heavy duty 50 caliber cannon. Though as fearsome as they were, they were as fragile as their other guard members. The riot guards were a bunch of seagulls and albatross's, all of them dressed in similar pilot uniforms as Arpeggio's flash light guards and wearing goggles. Only this time, these guards had jet packs on their backs to enhance their jump pattern, making them jump higher and at longer distances. To add to this, each of them were armed with MP 40 submachine gun pistols, the common German WWII machine gun used by the infantry. They were light, cheap to manufacture and gruesomely accurate. Then there were the flight officers who commanded the guard forces. They were a bunch of pelicans and humans, all of whom were dressed smartly in officer official uniforms and armed with Webley and Scott Mk IV revolvers. These officers commanded particular sections of the blimp or led a small detachment of guards and soldiers. The soldiers were merely a group of albatross's dressed in US British WWI army uniforms. Finally, there were the gunners who operated the heavy cannons and anti-aircraft guns. They were regular human army personnel dressed in pilot uniforms but were unarmed. Specially trained and equipped to handle high altitudes and pilot many vehicles as well as mounted weapons, their skills made up for their sufficient lack of personal defense.

All in all, Arpeggio has come equipped and was ready for any situation, emergency or not...

While all of this was going around, from the guard patrols of the soldiers following their duties to the flight course of the massive flying fortress, one group out of all the personnel on board Arpeggio's blimp was busy plotting a plan of attack. Divided from the rest of the blimp at the back of the metallic structure was a crane, and still hooked up but plugged in to a power generator was the Northern light battery. Beside the Northern light battery, there was a small generator control centre, a outpost box built with light frameworks of steel with control panels and computer systems inside. Basically, this small generator control centre controlled almost all of the power that went out around the blimp.

Inside the control centre were two flight officers, one human and one a pelican, both of them hard at work maintaining the power flow through the blimp and keeping everything in check. They were so busy working at the control panels that they failed to notice two individuals enter their midst from the top of the box as they swung into it. Since the control box was about the size of a lounge room of a regular house, it was pretty big, providing enough movement and fighting space for the two intruders.

While the two guard's backs were turned to each other, a golden hook sudden came up from behind them and gripped itself round their necks. Letting out simultaneous choking sounds, the two guards were pulled back, and two punch sounds were heard. Almost on cue, two bodies were thrown out of the box and over the walkway outside the control centre by two other figures, both of them female in appearance. The two bodies were thrown completely overboard, their bodies falling down to God knows where. Provided they didn't crash onto the roof of some poor soul's house, wherever else they landed was alright.

With the two guards disposed with, the rest of the group entered the control centre and scattered around the room. Of course, it was apparent that this group of people was the Cooper gang, all of which had exited the Northern light battery when the hatches opened to plug themselves into their new system. Seeing the command centre built up beside the battery, the Cooper gang quickly formulated a plan with Bentley to take control of it. With no guards around on their level, it was the perfect opportunity to strike. Now that they had dispensed with the problems, they now controlled the power generator control room. With Sly, Gohan, Videl, Carmelita and Murray on guard, Bentley quickly went to work hacking into the system and finding out where they were. Of course, that was answered already for they were on a blimp on a one way trip to wherever. That was what Bentley intended to find out.

Shoving his sword back into his sheath after its use on the pelican flight officer, Gohan walked over to Bentley and stood beside him, leaning over his shoulder to see what the turtle was doing. Sly glanced behind him as well as Carmelita to see Gohan beside Bentley. They thought of going over to join them but they decided to keep watch and check out their surroundings. "So Bentley, where do you suppose Arpeggio would stash the Clockwerk parts", asked Gohan. Bentley, who was still busily typing away, glanced over at the secondary computer screen beside the one he was hacking into and beamed up a few virtual detailed blueprints of the blimp. These maps gave full view of the blimp and if you zoomed in on particular areas, you would be able to see the electricity and airflow of it. This was the perfect way to check on any damages and alert the workers to rush over to fix it.

After quick checks on the second screen, Bentley stopped typing for a second and pointed to what appeared to be a secondary blimp hovering on the port side of the flying fortress, or in other words the right side. It was smaller then the main structure making up Arpeggio's blimp but from the looks of it, this smaller blimp looked like it could hold a substantial amount of equipment, as well as house a couple of rooms or two. Thankfully, there was a ramp leading over from the section of the blimp they were on which was the largest, to that smaller blimp. But it would be a hell of a walk to get from where they were to there.

"I'm sure that that smaller helium filled blimp acting as a counter weight is surely to contain the Clockwerk parts. After looking up on the ship's manifest and construction lists, it seem that our host Arpeggio has decided to hold himself up in that smaller blimp. If you look in there, then you are sure to find the Clockwerk parts", said Bentley. Gohan nodded and glanced back over at Sly.

"Did you here that Sly", asked Gohan. Sly nodded and looked back over at them.

"Sure did. But I have to say Arpeggio likes to make an impression. Would you look at this blimp", replied the raccoon, pointing out through the lookout slots of the control centre toward the rest of the blimp's construction outside. Because the control centre lacked any windows, the winds licked at their clothes and hair, waving it round violently. Gohan nodded as well before glancing back toward Bentley's computer screens. Though he could not follow what Bentley was typing, he could surely guess what he was doing.

"So, have we got a plan of attack", asked Videl, walking up to stand beside her mate. Bentley looked back at the key boards and back up at the screen he was primarily focusing on a couple of times before shrugging.

"Patience is a virtue guys, but as it turns out, I don't think we'll need much of a plan", said Bentley. Gohan and the others looked at Bentley in surprise and confusion. Perhaps the turtle was a little too over his head.

"What do you mean Bentley", asked Sly in puzzlement. Murray looked a little perplexed.

"Yeah… I mean, you always have a plan _A_ Bentley… sometimes even a plan _B_", exclaimed the hippo. Bentley smiled as he continued typing away at the computer. It was true he was the plan maker here and was responsible for formulating most of the Team's schemes, but he was for certain that at this point in time, a plan of attack wasn't needed. However, he was coming up with a few things that might help them in the near future.

"Sorry Murray, but I think that in spite of recent events, extreme measures call for a full on assault. If Arpeggio already has rebuilt Clockwerk, then we need to stop him before Clockwerk is reawakened, otherwise Arpeggio will reawaken him if he hasn't", said Bentley. "We don't want things to get out a hand. So far things have just been going from bad to worse. Hopefully things won't get any worse!"

Murray nodded and rubbed the back of his head. "So umm… what did you have in mind", asked Murray. Bentley smiled and pointed at the secondary computer screen. Gohan took a closer look to see what Bentley was pointing at. From what he could see, Bentley was pointing at a helicopter pad on the top level of Arpeggio's blimp and from the looks of it, there was a helicopter.

"If Arpeggio has already assembled Clockwerk and he is activated, Carmelita, Sly and you Videl", said Bentley nodding toward each of them, "will have to take control of that helicopter. By all means, we would need air support. When Clockwerk reawakens he is sure to make waste of Arpeggio's blimp, if you take into consideration Clockwerk's destructive capabilities." Gohan nodded while Sly, Carmelita and Murray huddled around the turtle, staring at the screen intently. Gohan had to agree with what Bentley was saying. After their last encounter with the bird, he was not going to start doubting Bentley's words now.

"Yeah… even I was having trouble inflicting damage on him. But I don't think he should be any trouble now, his original frame was a lot tougher then when he was broken up. If he was welded back together then he is sure to be easy to take down now", said Gohan. Bentley shook his head.

"Sorry Gohan but I'm afraid that that theory of yours is incorrect. Clockwerk's parts, though separated they may be are still as tough as they were as a whole. The alloy used in Clockwerk's frame is made of a rare earth metal and after all the years he has existed, Clockwerk has been strengthening his body, making it literally impregnable. Even in pieces, his prime source of power, a powerful microprocessor called the Hate chip, keeps all his parts unscathed. That perhaps answers his obvious immortality", replied Bentley. Gohan furrowed his brow in disappointment at this new information. Bentley was right; things were going to get worse before they get better.

Meanwhile, Carmelita was checking out the helicopter on the screen on Bentley computer. When she found the location of it on the map, the fox turned and strolled over to the window sills surrounding and making up the control box and, gripping the metal frame looked out onto the expanse of Arpeggio's blimp. The wind, though licking at her hair and face failed to make her flinch or avert her gaze as she looked over the true structure. When she spotted the helicopter pad built right beside the ramp leading to Arpeggio's smaller blimp Bentley was talking about before, she furrowed her brow.

"That's an M-1001 Hornet", said Carmelita, alerting everyone's attention. The entire gang turned to her in surprise to see her looking out onto Arpeggio's blimp. Sly, who was outside of the group's circle, walked over to where Carmelita was standing and looked out in the direction of her gaze. When he caught sight of the helicopter, he couldn't help but be surprised. "That chopper is used by the US military as a combat machine, capable of taking down even the fastest of jets and unleashing deadly hails of fire, it is one of the fastest, most agile and perhaps the most powerful chopper owned by the armed forces", Carmelita continued.

Sly glanced over at Carmelita. "Do you think you can pilot that thing? I may be able to pilot planes but not helicopters", said the raccoon. Carmelita smiled and glanced over at her lover.

"I was trained in all types of military vehicles. I may not be the best driver but I'm an expert pilot", said Carmelita. Sly smiled.

"That remains to be seen", he replied. Carmelita nodded then walked back over to Bentley, accompanied by Sly.

"If for some reason Clockwerk makes his appearance, I'll have that chopper hot wired and ready to fly us out of here and perhaps offer you guys some support", said Carmelita, looking back at the screen showing the map of Arpeggio's blimp. "The only problem is I need two gunners: One to arm that twin 50 caliber gun on the rear of the chopper, and one to take the bottom 50 caliber. It calls for a lot of heavy duty", said Carmelita. Videl, who had stood by her partner for years took to the plate and volunteered.

"I'll take the forward turret Carm", said the raven haired girl. Carmelita smiled and nodded.

"I thought you would", said the vixen. Sly turned to Carmelita and stepped toward her, taking her hand in his. Carmelita, feeling her hand taken glanced down and followed the arm up to its host. She saw Sly looking at her through serious and determined eyes.

"I'll go too", said Sly. Carmelita, seeing this smiled and nodded back to her lover, seeing him smile in return.

"Alright Sly", she said. Videl, seeing this nodded in reassurance before turning to Gohan to see him staring at them, Murray and Bentley also watching the scene unfold before their very eyes. When Videl saw Gohan glance over at her, she nodded to him.

"Gohan, it may take a while for us to load up the helicopter so we'll need you to take on Clockwerk and hold him off. None of us can fly like you and no one is as strong as you are. If you were able to take down Clockwerk before, then you can do it again", said Videl. Gohan, hearing this smiled and, balling his fists, held it up in determination.

"I'll give him hell", replied the young Saiyan. Videl smiled and walked over to him, giving him a hug. The young Saiyan returned it affectionately. However, he was brought out of his state of relief by Sly clearing his throat. Gohan looked up toward his friend to see the raccoon smiling over at him, Sly's hand still interlocked with Carmelita's.

"Listen Gohan, if all else fails, destroy Clockwerk. At all costs he must not see the light of day again", said Sly. Gohan nodded at this and when Videl pulled away from him, Gohan reached behind him and drew his sword, the blade glimmering with light as he held it up. The curved blade moved as Gohan turned it, a very Vegeta like smirk plastered on his face.

"If it does come to it… I'll make sure to turn that bird into ash and debris. When I'm done giving him a beating, he'll be wishing he never met me", replied Gohan. Sly nodded and together, they all turned to Bentley. Murray also looked at Bentley and feeling a little left out.

"Bentley, what would you like me to do", asked the hippo. Bentley looked over at Murray and smiled.

"I think I'll need 'the Murray' to watch over me while I keep the energy stationing in check. I think they'll be sending a new shift soon enough with an armed guard", said Bentley. Murray, settling with this new assignment grinned and slammed his fists together.

"OK! Don't worry Bentley, 'the Murray' will be looking out for you and pound anyone who comes through that door. I shall not be trifled with", exclaimed the hippo. Bentley nodded and, glancing at his watched, looked up at his friends. With a final nod, he gestured out the door.

"It's time to move out guys!"

* * *

Before they knew it, the Cooper gang initiated their attack. While Bentley and Murray remained at the control centre to instruct the field gang members along and give them much needed information on their objectives, Gohan, Sly, Videl and Carmelita hit the blimp. Careful not to fall off of the walkways, the four Cooper gang team members sprinted up the length of Arpeggio's flying fortress, heading up towards Arpeggio's suite. With Sly in the lead, followed by Gohan with Videl and Carmelita tailing them, the team worked their way up the stairs, across many other walkways and crossed bridges to reach their destination. Even though it was easy to see the path ahead of them, the gang was surprised how much of a confusing network Arpeggio's blimp was. It was a really complex structure. Perhaps the walkways were built without proper covering or armor so that the blimp was lighter as it was required to fly at such a high altitude.

Below them and around them, the gang could see the clouds rushing by as Arpeggio's blimp flew on. They were indeed surprised out how fast the blimp was moving, given evidence to this was the speed the clouds around them were rushing past and how strong the winds were. What were more astonishing was how they could keep a footing on the blimp without being blown away and how the air was so fresh and breathable at this level. Arpeggio really did plan this right down to the altitude pressure and gravitational pull. However, that didn't matter now. The gang's primary focus was getting to Arpeggio and stopping him from resurrecting Clockwerk.

Turning a corner, the gang closed in on their objective. Seeing Arpeggio's personal blimp hovering just out of reach up the stairs and across the ramp beside the helicopter pad, the gang picked up their running pace. Remarkably, all of them were running at the same speed as each other. However, they encountered a small problem when, just before they reached the stairs, they were halted by two spot light guards coming down the stairs, both of them spotting the four of them and immediately taking fighting positions. Gohan leapt in front of the group while everyone backed off.

"Get down", Gohan shouted, holding up his right hand in defense. In that split second, Carmelita, Videl and Sly crouched behind Gohan and shielded themselves, just as the two spot light guards opened fire with the heavy 50 caliber cannons on their shoulders. The heavy rounds went off like repeated thunder booms as the bullets soared through the air straight at the four, on a path of taking each and every one of them down. Amazingly enough, the metallic frames the spotlight guards were on managed to stay up right despite the recoil from the cannons on their shoulders.

Just before the rounds made contact with their targets, Gohan threw his hand forward and projected a blue shield which formed a bright blue, thin barrier around the four of them. The bullets struck the barrier and rebounded with no effect whatsoever. However, believing they could break through the barrier, the two guards began firing away again, the round echoing all around and creating bright flashes of smokeless light from the continuous rounds fired. Because they were heavy cannons, they fired semi automatic rounds and not machine gun rounds like the regular anti-personnel 50 caliber machine gun.

With a serious scowl on his face as Gohan effortlessly kept up the shield, Gohan glared at the two slowly approaching spot light guards. Unfortunately, the pair of them was still launching an endless barrage upon them however all the rounds were centered on him. Deciding to end this, Gohan dropped the shield and began catching the bullets with his bare hand, much to Sly, Carmelita and Videl's surprise. The rounds Gohan caught were clenched tightly in his right hand and with his left hand, threw it forward while be brought his right fisted hand back behind him. Effortlessly again, Gohan fired a ki shock wave at the two spot light guards before they could fire off another round.

The invisible force wave struck the two guards, violently knocking them back. Pieces of the metallic frame making them taller and stronger fell off from the force of the attack at the same time their cannons were crushed. Also, because of the force wave Gohan had fired, the blow back sent the two guards smashing into the railings lining the walkway, the two of them breaking through the barrier before plummeting from the blimp, their screams echoing all around. Their screams were silenced as they fell out of ear shot.

Satisfied, Gohan glanced over his shoulder and nodded to his three friends that it was alright. Seeing this, and the absence of the obstacles before them, Sly, Carmelita and Videl got to their feet and followed Gohan up the stairs. Dashing over to the helicopter pad just beside the ramp to Arpeggio's personal blimp and the walkway it was connected to, Carmelita and Videl began raiding the chopper. Stepping into the opened cockpit, Carmelita started to hot wire it, only to get zapped. Blowing on her fingers, Carmelita looked out the window toward Sly and Gohan standing on the walkway beside the pad, watching their progress. The vixen shrugged and pointed toward the blimp.

"This will take a while guys! Just get to Arpeggio's blimp and destroy Clockwerk before he wakes up, if Arpeggio has already put him together", shouted Carmelita urgently. Gohan and Sly nodded but glanced at each other before Gohan pointed across the ramp toward the entrance of Arpeggio's suite.

"There's a good chance that Arpeggio already has, so keep on your guard", said Gohan. Sly, nodding affirmatively followed his friend across the ramp and, with Gohan opening the door, the two of them dashed in leaving Carmelita and Videl to hotwire the chopper. Videl was however checking out the forward gun below the cockpit and Carmelita was still connecting the wires, getting zapped every now and then from the currents of electricity flowing through the console.

* * *

The interior of Arpeggio's personal blimp was somewhat of a surprise to the two thieves. They weren't expecting to find an entire workstation in here, the housing of all of Arpeggio's work. It was even harder to believe that this entire structure could stay afloat, despite all the weight this stuff provided. Standing by the door at the side of the blimp, Gohan and Sly took their time in taking in their new surroundings.

To the left and right was the length of the blimp. To the right was a group of stairs climbing upwards toward a room divided from the main hardware room which they were in. To their left was another room only this time it had more of a royalty touch to it. The metallic frames built to form the walls and frames for the large windows were painted red and the windows were blinded with golden drapes or curtains. Because of this, the pair could not see who was inside that compartment or what was inside. Ignoring it for the time being, the two of them looked about the rest of the blimp. Because the room they were in was built in a almost cylinder formation because of the exterior structure, it wasn't hard to believe the room wouldn't look like this. Anyway, the frames making up the skeletal structure of the small blimp, as well as holding the cotton material making up the outside of the blimp in place, they also held a couple more things. One was the strange turbine lining circulating the centre of the room along the walls. And secondly, there were the three electromagnetic, giant polarity magnets spinning around in the turbine linings. Now either they were used to stabilize, balance and keep the small blimp in motion or they were used to hold together whatever it was hanging in mid air before the two thieves.

Down the stairs in front of them was the wide spread out floor of the small blimp which was made entirely of metal, the same type used to make the frames. Scattered across the floor were desks, tool cabinets, computer systems, super computers, ion-charge accelerator power towers, electronic generators, satellite dish's, energy transfer wires and power points. There was also a lot of used tools and paper lying around; most of them were blue prints of dreamt up inventions by Arpeggio. However, these scattered tools were of no concern to the pair, it was what was hung up by chains above the floor.

Following the immense shadow on the floor, Gohan and Sly discovered to their horror that the giant shadow belonged to the fully reassembled frame of a lifeless Clockwerk. The giant owl's body hung stiffly where it was and it's cold, golden eyes glared ahead of him. Clockwerk's wingspan was massive, and from the looks of it, Arpeggio had made a big effort to ensure that he was in tip top condition. There was hardly a scratch on him. Though the sight of their old enemy made them back off in fear, the two then stepped forward and glared up at the owl. They realized he wasn't awake, and they knew that they could use this operation to incinerate him before he does wake up.

Before they could make up a plan, they both pulled out their binocucom's and enhanced their view on the giant bird, looking it over from head to toe and bottom to top. The instant they pulled out their binocucom's, Bentley's head appeared in the bottom right screen of their visor's, the turtle looking very concerned about his friend's safety.

"We're too late Bentley, it looks to us that Arpeggio has reassembled Clockwerk", said Sly. Bentley fisted his hands and punched his helmet, shaking his head at their misfortune. Fear and failure flooded into the turtle's mind as he recounted their adventures and predictions of what was to follow.

"**_Darn… DARN IT!! We were so close. Now we're doomed! DOOMED",_** cried the turtle. Gohan furrowed his brow as he looked the frame over, making sure Bentley could get an entire view of it. He was sure that even though Bentley was in a fit of despair, he knew the turtle could see what he was projecting to him.

"Calm down Bentley, I don't think Clockwerk is activated yet. I think we'll be able to destroy him before he does. What do you think pal", asked Gohan. Bentley, recovering from his hysterics and returning to the real world scratched his chin in thought. He tilted his head and stared at the screen before him more intently.

"**_Well, according to my readings, the electromagnetic polarity around the frame from those spinning magnets is pulling on the parts and keeping the frame in position. Apparently, the Clockwerk frame needs to be kept in that state of suspension in order for it to retain itself as a whole"_**, said Bentley. Sly raised an eyebrow while taking a glance at the head of Clockwerk at the same time moving his binocucom. The two thieves were crouched low in front of the door and were cautious. Because they couldn't sense any life force coming off of Clockwerk even when he was active, it was hard to tell whether he was awake or not.

"So, what do you want us to do", asked Sly. Bentley grinned and pounded his right fist into his left palm.

"**_Destroy him guys! End this horror film so we can get out of here",_** shouted Bentley. With a final nod, the two of them turned off their binocucom's and put them back into their leg pouches. Standing up straight, the two of them turned to each other.

"That's him Sly, what do you suppose we do with it", asked Gohan, nodding toward the frame and dropping into an attack stance. With a smirk, Sly gestured over to the lifeless frame of his family's arch nemesis. The raccoon knew the perfect fate for Clockwerk and to accomplish it he needed the help of Son Gohan himself to complete Clockwerk's demise.

"Disintegrate him Gohan. Use one of you ki attacks to neutralize him once and for all", said Sly. Gohan nodded and, cupping his hands behind him, the young Saiyan charged his attack. A golden ball of energy appeared in his hands as blue electricity crackled round it. The charging of ki energy into his attack illuminated the entire room as specks of energy could be seen drawing into the golden ball of energy in Gohan's hands as if the young Saiyan were taking in energy from his surroundings. But it just looked like that; the rest of course was all of Gohan's focus and power.

"Way ahead of you", replied the young Saiyan. Concentrating hard and compacting all of the energy he could into this one attack, the young Saiyan let out a yell before throwing both hands forward in a Kamehameha motion, the golden beam erupting from his hands with currents of blue electricity running along the trailing energy attack. A shock wave followed its released, followed closely by a loud whooshing sound that echoed all round from the beam.

It appeared the beam would strike and destroy its target with full force. However, Gohan expected what was to happen next. Just as his attack struck the Clockwerk frame, a ripple of invisible energy erupted on contact with the frame followed by the freezing of Gohan;s attack, shocking the young Saiyan. Just as the beam dug deeply into whatever it was in between the beam and its target, Gohan's charged attack suddenly shot straight back at its source, curving through the air before striking Gohan in the chest. Having the wind knocked out of him, Gohan was sent hurling back, crashing into the wall beside the door he and Sly had come through not long ago before falling flat on his face on the ground. A human sized dent was left engraved in the blimp's frame. Sly, shocked as well, jumped down and helped his injured friend to his feet.

Groaning, Gohan staggered back into an upright position with Sly's help. He wasn't hurt or anything, but he was shocked. After thanking Sly for his help, the pair of them looked up at the Clockwerk frame. Where Gohan fired his attack there was nothing, not even a scratch. To the two of them, it was impossible for the frame to still be intact.

"What!? That… can't be… I don't understand! Why isn't the frame destroyed", shouted Gohan. Sly shrugged, his eyes wavering and sweat dripping down his forehead from nervousness. As he looked upon the lifeless body of his enemy, he could still feel a chill of fear run down his back.

"I… don't know Gohan", Sly replied; worry filling his voice and his expression hardening.

"I do", interrupted a very British, well-mannered voice to the pair's left. Gohan and Sly turned their heads in the direction of the voice and saw what looked to be a royal box cart with four mechanical legs walking toward them with a very familiar figure sitting within it.

The box walking toward them was indeed a royal box, but it was designed for transportation of a person. That person of course, was obviously Arpeggio. The small parrot was sitting inside the box; the curtains that were supposed to be drawn in front of him were tied back, revealing the young master mind in all his formal glory. Of course he was a parrot, but he was well dressed for a person of his size. With an eyeglass fitted into his left eye and wearing an orange tux with a green tie, green tail feathers and a green crest, this parrot definitely fitted Arpeggio's description. The box he was sitting in, perched on a wooden, pillow lined bar was for his use. Its exterior was made of a very smoothly cut wood and was painted in royal red, orange, gold and green to match Arpeggio's colors. How it moved was simple. Four bipod legs were built at the base of the box so that it supported the box and with its suspensions, it was able to carry a lot of weight. But because of the size of the legs and weight it carried, it didn't move as fast as it was supposed to.

Sly growled in anger and stepped in front of Gohan, balling his fists and bearing his cane in a threatening manner. "Arpeggio", the raccoon hissed. The young parrot inside the box smirked cockily at the pair of them.

"Why hello Sly Cooper; isn't it a coincidence that I should find you and your friend Gohan here on my flying fortress? I've heard so much about you and your little gang… how rude I am… please, is there anything I may help you with or get you… drinks… lunch", asked the little parrot confidently and in a gentlemanly manner. Sly and Gohan glared at him and Gohan took his place beside his friend, his hands fisted. They knew Arpeggio was up to something, but what was it they didn't know. However, not wanting to disappoint, they decided to press on with what they wanted.

"All we want is to see Clockwerk destroyed Arpeggio", said the young Saiyan. Arpeggio sighed and shook his head, running his winged, feathered hand over his beak to compose himself. He hated when being well mannered went sour but of course, he was used to it.

"Yes, yes, yes, I know what your intentions are and what you are doing here, of course", said the parrot, looking back up at the two thieves, unshaken by their glares. "But I cannot let you do that", continued the parrot. Almost on cue, another person joined the young Arpeggio. Emerging from the shadows behind the giant box carrying the small parrot, a very familiar face stepped out and came to stand beside the leader of the Klaww gang, her arms crossed and her green eyes glaring down at the two thieves. Gohan and Sly were surprised to see who it was.

"Neyla", Sly mouthed. The young tigress grinned, her fangs bared and flashing in the light provided by the interior of Arpeggio's personal blimp. Gohan glared at her, ignoring the fact that she was here and moving onto the most obvious answer to why she was here.

"I should have known you had a part in this", said Gohan. Arpeggio chuckled while Neyla smiled slyly at the two of them.

"Why of course she does. Young Captain Neyla here, though she is an officer of Interpol, is really my adjutant working undercover. She did a real good job of setting you up and sending you all to jail I have to admit", said Arpeggio. His smile slowly faded to be replaced by a frown, his eyes turning cold and steely. "However, I am very surprised that you managed to escape from my other undercover agent the Contessa. No one has ever escaped from her clutches and lived for long to tell about it!" Sly and Gohan smirked, glancing at each other before crossing their arms.

"Well, she really doesn't keep much useful company", said Sly. Gohan nodded in agreement.

"Too easy on my part, I guess the Klaww gang was just a big pack of jokers after all and not the gang we expected them to be", said Gohan. Neyla sighed and shook her head in annoyance before looking up at the two of them.

"A gang that really gave you two and the rest of your friends a run for your money from what I had witnessed. But we must let you know that the formation of the Klaww gang was just a huge scale ruse. We never really wanted the other Klaww gang members using the Clockwerk parts for their own selfish reasons", said Neyla. Gohan raised an eyebrow in curiosity and puzzlement. His hand was itching to make a grab for his sword right now and cut down the pair of them right then and there, but his sense of curiosity and interest got the better of him.

"What do you mean", asked Gohan. Arpeggio stepped backwards and, turning around walked towards the Clockwerk frame, accompanied by Neyla who kept watch over the two thieves. Gohan and Sly were making sure they had their ears and eyes open for anything peculiar but were also listening on to what Arpeggio had to say so that they could unravel this mystery.

"If I'm not mistaken your gang are aware of my incapability's to fly. Well, upon doing some research and looking for a cure for my inability to fly, the defeat of Clockwerk was soon brought to my attention. Already well aware of the tyrant's thieving and flying capabilities, I also discovered his immortality grasp, which lead him to his years of living. After I had heard of Clockwerk's demise and that his disassembled parts were taken to the Egyptian museum, I figured that if I managed to rebuild Clockwerk, I would be able to take over his body and use it as my own. The Klaww gang was just the muscle I needed to get my hands on those parts. By cutting a deal that neither of them could resist, I began plotting my way to my goal. Neyla here was one of my inside people of Interpol. I used her to inform me of Interpol's movements across the globe toward each of the Klaww gang member's hideouts. I paid her a lot at her price and she gladly accepted", said Arpeggio, slowly turning around so he could see Gohan and Sly again. Neyla stood watch, arms crossed and whip hanging at her belt.

Now things were starting to make sense for the two of them and after some refreshing memories and careful thinking, they finally got it. Sly looked up and pointed accusingly at the pair of villains standing before them. "So you planned this all along. Neyla telling us back at the museum that it was the Klaww gang responsible for the theft of the Clockwerk parts was just to get us started. You knew that we'd eventually steal back the Clockwerk parts and destroy them", stated Sly. Arpeggio nodded.

""Very good Cooper, you catch on straight away. It was a risky game I played but after all… here we are and the Clockwerk parts are reassembled and the frame is complete. However, without a sustainable and immortal power source, what good use would the parts be to me if the Clockwerk frame didn't work", said Arpeggio. Sly and Gohan hardened their glared on the small parrot, confused and puzzled. "The Klaww gang also helped me serve my purposes well. With their resources I was able to get the needed power sources I need. Thanks to the Contessa, she formulated special satellite dishes that allowed powerful hypnotic waves to be fired. Giving them to me, I was able to set the satellite dishes all over this blimp, their enhanced systems at this altitude allowing a world wide beam to spread through other satellites orbiting the planet and come down onto the city's, striking the people who were the targets." Gohan raised an eyebrow.

"That still doesn't make any sense. Why would you need hypnotic transmitters to help power Clockwerk", asked Gohan. Arpeggio pointed a finger towards him while smirking evilly.

"I'll be getting to that Gohan. The hypnosis abilities the Contessa provided me is to just help spur on another project set up by my dear Dimitri and my business associates Jean Bison and Rajan. Dimitri was just a tool of my own works, I was never interested in his so called money production act, I had no need for it. His part to play was symbol but first started off with my hiring of Rajan. His illegal spice trade was just as a valuable entity to my plan as was the Contessa's hypnotic transmitters. You see, the spices Rajan grew tend to give the consumers and eaters abnormal effects. Just a whiff of them creates psychiatric problems, interfering with the mind and tending to interfere with a person's emotions, thus making them energetic in certain ways. Rajan transporting his stocks to Jean Bison through a network of shipments gave us the subtlety we needed. It was here where Jean Bison sent the spice shipments by train down South, filtering it into the ports where all ships collecting the cargo would then take it to France, Paris. Dimitri, being our local operative working at numerous nightclubs especially his primary nightclub the Peacock, sprinkled the foods he sold with the stuff. The party goers would eventually consume the food covered with the spice. Not knowing what they were eating because of the atmosphere around them, their interacting with Dimitri's dancing only enforced the matter and soon enough, thousands of youngsters came to Dimitri's nightclub and ate the spice covered foods." Gohan and Sly continued listening, seeing Neyla step backwards and come to stand beside Arpeggio again.

"As you already know the spice Rajan used affected the consumers psychologically. This was where the Contessa's part came in. Though she used her hypnotic experiments to cure would be criminals, she also used it to enhance and change emotions. The emotions flared on by those who had consumed a large amount of spice were unstable, weakening the minds and, using the Contessa's hypnotic transmitters, allowed us to make the people who ate Rajan's spice… angry. Hate and rage was a prime source of Clockwerk's immortality and thanks to a few adjustments I had made to Clockwerk's original body, the emotion driven hate energy released by the people under the influence of the combined spice and hypnotic effects, is absorbed by the Clockwerk body, giving it its seemingly immortality. Absorbing enough hate energy from the air for the immortality to be permanent, the Clockwerk frame would be no less then invincible, immune to all attacks from both man and nature. But this energy only makes the frame ageless and invincible, giving power to the hate chip. Where would I be able to find the necessary power for the Clockwerk frame to activate?" asked Arpeggio. It only took a second for Gohan to realize what power source Arpeggio needed.

"The Northern light energy", said the young Saiyan. Sly also clued in on this, as they had been in the battery for hours and had been taken up here in the first place. Arpeggio nodded while Neyla listened.

"Correct. Just a small amount of energy from the Northern light battery can power a whole state. Imagine what I could do with a truck load. Using the renewable energy to power Clockwerk's frame as its original power core had lost its purity. Yes the heart pumps the blood around the body, but Clockwerk doesn't have any blood… he has electricity and gears. Pumping the electrical currents throughout his system, it keeps it in flow. A tireless pump is all I need to live forever and with the combination of both hate and the Northern light energy provided by Jean Bison, I will be invincible! So as you see, it all falls into place. Your capture by Jean Bison was just the thing I needed to get my hands on the parts", said Arpeggio. Sly and Gohan were indeed shocked and, stepping forward, the two dropped into fighting stances.

"We won't let you take over Clockwerk's body!" shouted Sly.

"There is no way we will let Clockwerk be reborn again", continued Gohan. Arpeggio chuckled evilly.

"Just try and stop me! Immortality here I come!" exclaimed the parrot, turning around and starting to strut towards the ladder leading up to Clockwerk's head. Sly and Gohan were about to make their move when suddenly, Arpeggio was struck down by Neyla. The tigress sprinted up to Arpeggio and kicked his box, knocking him over before the purple tiger leapt gracefully up the ladder before hopping into Clockwerk's open mouth. When she had slid in, the mouth closed, and a second later, Clockwerk's eyes flashed blue and the giant owl wheeled around on the spot, turning its gaze towards the three helpless mortals watching in horror beside it.

"What?! What is this betrayal!? Neyla!" shouted Arpeggio as staggered out of his now trashed walker. Gohan and Sly stepped back in fear when they heard the now newly awakened Clockwerk let out a screech before the back mounted turret appeared out of the steel owls back and fired at the electromagnetic magnets spinning around it. The purple plasma blasts struck the magnets, destroying them and allowing the Clockwerk frame to drop to the ground. However, instead of crashing like it was supposed to, thanks to the new controller Neyla, Clockwerk landed on its own two feet before wheeling around, turning towards the three shocked onlookers. Clockwerk's wings pulled themselves back and rested in a bird's relaxed position. Clockwerk leered.

"**_Hahahahaha! This feels great, I feel so alive, so energetic, so…POWERFUL!"_** exclaimed Clockwerk in a very Neyla like voice. Arpeggio stared up from his position in shock as did Gohan and Sly who made no effort to go help the knocked over parrot. With Clockwerk glaring down at them from where it stood it its cold blue eyes, who would dare make a move. The bird let out a very loud, metallic roar before leaning over, its eyes flashing red that showed the evilness and hate portrayed in those cold orbs.

"**_Oh what a shame… you came so close to stopping me. But I guess that this misfortune would be you one and ultimate demise at my hands Cooper and Son", _**growled Clockwerk, steam issuing out of its beak. Gohan and Sly angered in expressions and dropped into fighting stances. Gohan drew both his swords while Sly spun his cane in his hand before cranking it back, taking his usual fighting pose. Arpeggio however was still in shock.

"Neyla… I thought we made a deal! I thought that we were partners! I paid you! How could you betray me like this!?" screamed Arpeggio, his wings flapping uselessly as he attempted to clamber out of his prison of a walking contraption. Clockwerk hissed and turned to glare at Arpeggio, its eyes flashing again as its beak gaped, as if wanting to swallow the parrot whole. Arpeggio whimpered.

"**_Silence you pathetic cripple. I am no longer the lovely Neyla you have all came to know before! From this day forward, with the combination of both the immortal Clockwerk and the cunnings of the new, fresh minded Neyla, I am now known as Clock-La, and I will not take any sass from anyone anymore!" _**screeched the newly anointed Clock-La, the birds wings flapping and spreading to its full length. Before Arpeggio could even utter another stutter, Clock-La raised her right left talon edged foot and brought it down upon the box containing Arpeggio. In one scream and one crushing motion, Arpeggio was dead, the box exploding into splinters and feathers with no remains to be seen. Gohan and Sly, through instinct and quick reflexes, leapt out of the way, Gohan jumping to his right and rolling back-flipping before landing close to the end of Arpeggio's blimp while Sly clambered up the frames of the inner blimp before perching himself on a piece of metal sticking outward. This allowed the raccoon a good view of what was to come.

Noticing her opponent's avoidance, Clock-La spun on her heels and let out a loud, echoing screech. Her eyes flashed red again in anger, hate and pure rage. **_"Come back and fight you cowards!"_** she screeched. Gohan growled and, dropping into a fighting stance, bade Clock-La toward him, his golden blades flashing in the light of Clock-La's eyes.

"If you want a fight Clockwerk, take me!" shouted Gohan, catching Clock-La's attention. Angering the giant mechanical bird, Clock-La let out another ear piercing screech before taking flight, her wings flapping heavily and remarkably, lifting Clockwerk's frame off of the ground. In her fit of anger, the plasma machine gun's Clockwerk was famous for appeared on the feet of the giant bird and on her back. The full arsenal activated with a charge and Gohan prepared himself.

"**_My… name… is… CLOCK-LA! I will enjoy slaughtering you all! I'll tear you and your friends to shreds!"_** screamed Clock-La, taking off and straight at Gohan. Before Clock-La could reach him, Gohan backed off and turned to Sly, the giant bird lashing out at him with one of her razor sharp claws. The young Saiyan was shocked at the amazing speeds Clock-La possessed but managed to keep himself calm and collected.

"I'll bide you some time Sly, but you'll have to get everyone to safety! GO!", shouted Gohan, lifting his swords in a X block. Sly heard him, but what he witnessed next, did not go so good. Unfortunately Gohan's block didn't save him from the head butt Clock-La initiated and before he knew it, Gohan was rammed right through the rear of the blimp, a massive hole being punched into the small structure with pieces of cotton, linen and metal debris flying through the air. Because Clock-La had followed through with her attack, a much larger whole was punched into the blimp and amazingly enough, didn't rupture the structure or destroy it completely.

Sly, seeing this was determined to go help his friend. But being unable to fly at this point couldn't. So, obeying his friends request, Sly leapt down from his perch and ran back through the door he and Gohan had used to access Arpeggio's personal blimp. Breaking through it unceremoniously, he rejoined Carmelita and Videl at the chopper.

TO BE CONTINUED…


	21. Clash of Power

DRAGONBALL Z **meets _Sly Cooper_**

_CLASH OF **POWER**_

_**Arpeggio's blimp…**_

_**Helicopter pad…**_

Hearing the sound of an explosion, Carmelita and Videl left their work at the helicopter and sprinted over to a position where Arpeggio's personal blimp was in view. They discovered to their shock when a bellowing of debris and smoke erupted from the rear of the smaller blimp, followed by a scream and a loud, very familiar, haunting screech. A second later, as the cloud of smoke continued to blind their view of what was happening in that particular region, a pair of figures emerged who they recognized as Gohan and Clockwerk. Their hearts sank when the true realization of what has dawned on the Cooper gang came out full force. Clockwerk was back!

Staring in shock as Gohan was continuously rammed by the maniacal Clockwerk, they heard the door of Arpeggio's personal blimp open and they both glanced to their left, seeing Sly emerge from the now broken door. Somehow, he had managed to break it off its hinges. But not caring for the obstacle he had just violently removed from his path, Sly sprinted down the ramp and met with Carmelita and Videl, the two of them relieved to see he was still alive. The raccoon was panting and sweating nervously.

"Are you two alight", asked Sly. Carmelita and Videl nodded.

"Yes, are you Sly", asked Carmelita in worry, stepping over to her mate and looking him over to check for any injuries. Sly fussed and shook his head, blocking Carmelita out.

"I'm OK Carmelita. What about Gohan, where is he", asked Sly. Carmelita and Videl turned toward the rear of Arpeggio's limp and pointed in the direction they saw Clockwerk and Gohan before. Sly followed their gaze and arms to where they were pointing and saw what was truly turning into a real dogfight high in the skies. With Clockwerk on his tail and Gohan on the run for now, the two of them maneuvered through the air, each one returning to each other and attacking. Unfortunately, the new and improved Clock-La was proving to be a worthy adversary as she was swiftly avoiding all of Gohan attacks almost. Only those attack which Gohan initiated immediately after being attacked by her struck her. However, those attacks were proving useless since Clock-La durable surface alloy enhanced by the energy of hate she absorbed was taking in all the blows without any damage.

Feeling a rush of determination and a need to aid his friend, he turned back to Carmelita and Videl and pointed toward the chopper they were hotwiring before. "Girls, we have to get that chopper in the air. We have to help Gohan. I don't think he will be able to hold of Clock-La for long without any additional support or firepower unless he can power up to his Super Saiyan form", said Sly. Carmelita and Videl looked at each other before looking back at Sly, utterly confused.

"Clock-La?" Carmelita replied.

"Don't you mean Clockwerk", asked Videl, placing her hands on her hips. Sly sighed and shook his head in disappointment. Rubbing the back of his head in a disappointed sort of way, he looked back up at the pair of them and nodded toward the Arpeggio's personal blimp where all the troubles started and all the facts were explained to him.

"I'm… sorry to say that Clockwerk isn't Clockwerk anymore. Unfortunately Neyla has been working for Arpeggio in the Klaww gang as a secret agent and, in a fit of greed took over Clockwerk's body. Apparently, Clockwerk couldn't live without an additional soul to power him", said Sly. Carmelita and Videl were indeed shocked and stared at Sly with gob smacked expressions. Their limbs fell limp and their jaws hung open in evidence. Now, that wasn't expected.

The two former cops didn't stay in their stupors for long and were interrupted by another explosion echoing around them. They turned in the direction of the source to see Clockwerk and Gohan beginning to fire charged attacks at each other at long and close quarter range of each other. One of Clock-La's purple plasma bolts struck one of the power generators close to the rear and disrupted to system, causing it to rupture and explode. Fortunately, Gohan was able to make it out of the blast's radius and return with a couple of well-aimed ki blasts, the balls of energy striking its target, causing a screech to erupt from Clock-La's beak. The bird then retaliated and a real shoot-out begun between the giant owl and the young half-Saiyan. Carmelita, Videl and Sly also took note that at the rear of Arpeggio's flying fortress was the power control centre where Bentley and Murray were currently at. If any of those misguided blasts strikes the hiding place of the pair, they would be subjected to a raging inferno before meeting a grim fate.

Shaking their heads, Carmelita and Videl returned to the real world. Reacting to her cop like personality, Carmelita turned to Videl and pointed toward the chopper. "Videl, get those forward turrets running. Sly and I will work at the pilot control console. Unfortunately I'm not good at hot wiring vehicles, that's Sly's specialty. If you do manage to get that forward turret running then work at the rear turret", ordered Carmelita. Videl nodded and shoving the shotgun she had been carrying with her in the holster on her back, sprinted back over the helipad and clambered into the chopper. Using the various crawl spaces, the raven haired girl made her way to the front of the chopper and immediately went to work at setting up the turret again.

Carmelita then turned to Sly and smiled, placing her hands on her hips and raising an eyebrow toward the thief. Sly smirked in response to this and crossed his arms.

"What's that look for", asked Sly. Carmelita shrugged.

"Nothing. But does a lover need a reason to admire her mate's courage in these situations, especially if he's a handsome one", asked Carmelita. Sly grinned mischievously and looked at Carmelita more suspiciously.

"No…and I thought I was the one that uses the smooth talk", said Sly. Carmelita shrugged.

"I picked up a few habits from you over the years Sly. Come on, lets get going", she replied. With a nod of affirmation, the two of them dashed back over to the helicopter and hopped in. Moving to the front, they began to tamper with the wires Carmelita was having trouble with before.

* * *

_**The control centre…**_

_**Next to the Northern light battery…**_

Bentley and Murray, who had been recently watching the progress of Sly and the others as they made their way to Arpeggio's personal blimp, were now focused on the fight going on close at hand. Above them, soaring through the air dangerously close to the blimp was Clockwerk and Gohan, both combatants attacking each other with powerful strikes and charged attacks. Gohan was still firing ki blasts at the evasive Clock-La while she returned it with a barrage of plasma machine gun fire. Lights flashed and lit up the entire air space around them as neither of them used charged attacks that didn't produce a mixture of light. Bentley and Murray were also aware of the danger they were in but were too caught up in the magnificent fight displayed before them. It was hard not to watch such a awesome fight.

"Wow… look at them go. Man, I wish I could do that", said Murray, intrigued but disappointed at his own lack of powerful strength. Bentley turned to his friend and shrugged.

"So do I pal, but this fight is in Gohan's department. You have other abilities too. Didn't he teach you the Fist of Flames technique", asked Bentley curiously. Murray looked up, remembering what Gohan taught him about ki and was rather enthused by it. He balled his fists and pounded them together.

"Yeah, he did! But Gohan taught me about ki, I developed my own attacks from there. Man, you're right Bentley… I… I do have my own style and strengths. 'The Murray' thanks you for your reminder", exclaimed the pink hippo, tensing his biceps and doing a couple of heroic poses that suited a person like himself. Bentley smiled and crossed his arms.

"Glad you're happy. And thanks for taking care of those guards for me, that would have been nasty", said Bentley. The two of them looked towards the entrance of the control centre and saw four bodies of four dead or unconscious Albatross soldiers, their Lee Enfield rifles lying on the ground round them. Murray smiled and nodded.

"That's alright Bentley, all in a days work for 'the Murray'", replied Murray happily. The two were brought out of their conversation by another explosion that erupted not too far from their control centre. Spinning around, the two saw a ball of fire and burning debris hurling into the air as a walkway was obliterated out of existence. Once again, the pair locked onto the two battling titans of the sky, watching the fight progress. They knew very well that soon enough, the fight would turn into a battle one to remember…

* * *

_**Meanwhile…**_

_**Fighting within the air space of Arpeggio's blimp…**_

A shock wave rang out as Gohan was knocked back again, his body uncontrollably spinning through the air for several minutes before the young Saiyan threw all his limbs straight out. Letting out a yell of agony and pain, Gohan projected an energy ki field, one which knocked him back into suspicion and stopped him from spinning; at the same time it halted him in mid-air altogether. With his back turned to his opponent and the pain shooting through his body, Gohan recovered as fast as he could and turned around, balling his fists and dropping into a fighting stance. Sweat was dripping down from his forehead and he, including his gi had suffered a real beating. Scratches donned his face as well as bruises, and his gi was also developing a tattered, battered state. The young Saiyan trembled as his eyes locked onto his target. Floating within the frames of Arpeggio's blimp, walkways weaving all around him, Gohan tried to keep his focus and did his best to keep his sights locked onto his opponent.

Clock-La, the maniacal newly anointed bird floating high above the blimp let out a screech, her wings flapping violently in an effort to keep her afloat. The bird's cold, glowing blue eyes spotted Gohan floating within the air space of the blimp, the young Saiyan moving with the blimp rather then remaining floating where he was. With the propeller blades of the blimp still spinning perfectly and with many of the helium filled balloons still attached to the main structure, Arpeggio's flying fortress was still in working order.

"**_That worm… this is just the perfect time for him to screw up",_** shouted Clock-La, pulling back in the air before making a swift, sharp dive downwards toward her target. Tucking her wings back, Clock-La spun through the air, weaving through the walkways and frames making up the blimp with ease before shooting straight down toward the young Saiyan in her sights, still spinning through the air. Her speed was incredible, as well as her agility. But Gohan wasn't beat yet.

Seeing his target coming at him full speed, Gohan took evasive maneuvers and powered up, leaping to gain altitude, at the same time avoiding getting struck down by his opponent. He watched as Clock-La soared straight past where he once floated and when she past beneath him, Gohan turned around. Cranking back her left hand, Gohan powered up a ki attack, a golden glowing ball of energy appearing in his hand before he threw it at his target, the ball of deadly energy flying through the air before striking Clock-La on the back. Unfortunately, because the owl was still spinning through the air, the ki blast had no affect, and was disintegrated on impact. Gohan was shocked but dropped into a defensive stance, waiting for Clock-La's next move.

Sensing her target behind her again, Clock-La stopped spinning and, bringing her wings back into motion, moved into an upright position and started flapping them again. The heavy, powerful wings kept her afloat once again and when she had done so, she spun around her eyes flashing red for a second before fading back to light blue, a low screech erupting from her throat. Though she was pissed that her target's speed was great and that Gohan had a smaller body, she was still confident she could beat him. Seeing Gohan floating several hundred meters away from her, Clock-La smirked. Well, if you would like to call it a smirk.

Cranking her head back, Clock-La then shot it forward suddenly and opening her beak, let out a loud, ear piercing screech. At the same time Clock-La had opened her mouth, a cannon appeared from out of her throat, the new weapon appearing with the sounds of gears in motion only to be droned out by her bird like scream. As soon as she let out that loud noise, an aqua colored beam erupted from her mouth. The beam of energy shot out almost like a ki blast and launched straight at Gohan. The young Saiyan was prepared to this and, throwing his left hand behind him before throwing it forward, unleashed a ki blast of his own, the beam of golden energy shooting straight at Clock-La's attack. His attack came out with a shock wave and a heavy, whooshing sound while Clock-La's attack flew silent with the loud screeching of the bird in the background; the only audible sound of Clock-La's attack.

The two energy powered attacks collided with each other and exploded, the infused beams letting out electrical discharges like lightning. Shockwaves followed the thunder like explosions accompanied by the lightning like discharges, smoke replacing the fiery ball explosion. However, not blinded by the destruction of their attacks, the two fighters carried on. Flying forward a few meters, the two fired simultaneous attacks, the same ones. Screeches from Clock-La filled the air as well as the sharp yells released by Gohan upon the launching of their attacks as the two dropped altitude at a slow, evenly matched pace. At the same time the two of them fired their attacks at each other; small, sharply produced yet high powered energy attacks. The same effects as the previous attacks launched occurred, ruining the other person's view but using their senses, were able to keep in sync; despite the blinding smoke screen.

The lightning discharges from the exploding energy attacks struck some of the walkways, burning holes into the steal alloy and sometimes collapsing some of Arpeggio's blimp structure. The fight was growing devastating, not only for the people around the two fighters but also to the battleground which was flying at over 2,000 feet above ground level. But all the while, the attacks kept coming and soon enough, the two fighters changed tactics. Moving sideways progressively, the two began firing random shots at each other. These pot shots were launched with great effectiveness. With some of the attack striking each other and exploding, a great deal of them missed; either flying off into the horizon or exploding on impact with Arpeggio's surrounding blimp. More smoke blinded the two fighters as they battled on, trying their best to hit the other.

This carried on for quite a while, but just as the pair of them had reached the forward area of Arpeggio's blimp, the two of them once again changed tactics. Gohan was the first to do so. After avoiding the last of Clock-La's high powered energy attacks that shot off onto the distant horizon, the young Saiyan leapt high into the air, at the same time backing off. With the increased altitude and distance between him and his opponent, Gohan threw both his hands forward and powered up a new attack. With a sharp yell and a short power up, Gohan launched a blue energy ball at Clock-La. The attack cut through the previously produced smoke before shooting straight at its target. Clock-La however anticipated this move and when she saw the ball of energy flying straight at her, the giant bird charged up a new move Gohan had never seen the original Clockwerk use before. Stopping to float where she was while continuously flapping her wings, Clock-La projected a white shield. The thin layer of energy spread out all around Clock-La, accompanied by blue currents of electricity. It only took a second for the shield to be produced and when it did, Gohan attack struck it, exploding on impact but with its force and shock wave bursting outwards, away from Clock-La. The thin shield blocked off everything the attack had, and the attack was a really powerful energy ball that would have caused devastating affects. Gohan was shocked.

Clock-La, laughing evilly suddenly dropped her shield and produced three new weapons Gohan recognized as the energy ring dischargers Clockwerk had used on Sly. The three ring shooters appeared on Clock-La's back and both her rings, the three guns narrowing down on their target. With a loud power up, the charged guns suddenly launched their projectiles, three identical rings suddenly launching themselves straight at Gohan. Cutting through the thin layer of smoke still hovering in the air, the rings encircles Gohan and then tightened around him, locking his legs and arms together, ceasing his movement. The young Saiyan was shocked but remained in the air, his flight ability still active.

"**_How do you like that Gohan… surprising huh!?"_** exclaimed Clock-La. Gohan fought in vein to remove the rings from around him and tried breaking them. Unfortunately for him the rings were too strong and with their newly energized alloy, were deemed unbreakable. They also had currents of blue electricity running across them, the sight and feel of it forcing Gohan to put more effort in trying to escape. However, he wouldn't be getting his chance as the unthinkable happened.

Just as he was trying to free himself, the rings after effects kicked in. The pain already shooting through Gohan's body increased 100 fold as the rings shot thousands of volts of electricity into the young Saiyan. The blue electrical energy exploded around the Saiyan and started rupturing his insides. The pain of this new weapon hit Gohan hard and just as the electrical charge activated, the young Saiyan screamed in sheer agony. His eyes clenched tightly as the electricity continued shooting through his body. Gohan had never felt so much pain in his life. It was unbearable. It took all his efforts to try and remain conscious. Well, it did feel like he was going to drop out but the electricity charge kept him conscious, the pain enhancing more and more as the weapon weakened him.

Gohan's screams were droned out by Clock-La's laugh as she watched her victim suffer before her. The electricity generation of the rings created a blue light that illuminated the skies and surroundings. Clock-La's eyes flashed red as she began to speak again. **_"Shocking isn't it Gohan. I hope that you realize that the pain you feel now is only the beginning of the horrible pains you will feel when I begin torturing you. I'm going to get you back for all you and your friends have done to me! Deep fried human… how yummy!"_** exclaimed Clock-La, seeing her victim struggling valiantly against the rings shocking effects.

However, just as Gohan was reaching the peak of his agonizing torture, the Saiyan bit down on the pain he felt and lowered his head from having it reeled back in his hysterical screaming. Relinquishing the pain he felt, the young Saiyan opened his eyes and slowly, his bared, tightly clenched teeth formed a smirk. The young Saiyan chuckled lowly, despite the pain shooting through his system. Clock-La was shocked, just as shocked as Gohan was feeling now.

"You think that I'm finished. Well I got news for you Neyla! You… are… wrong", said Gohan in a pained but quiet and well collected voice. His tone resembled that of Vegeta's almost but what was soon to follow would be impossible for even a full-fledged Super Saiyan to accomplish. As Clock-La watched on in shock, Gohan balled his fists tightly and began tensing his muscles all over his body. Keeping his anger under control, Gohan reached into him and began bringing up his inner energy, just as he had done on so many other occasions. Gritting his teeth through pain and exhaustion, Gohan's eyes suddenly flashed turquoise and a golden glow began to surround his body, replacing the blue glow of the electricity issuing out of him and the rings. Speaking of which, the rings started cracking as a golden glow also began surrounding them, neutralizing the electrical current effects and cutting off the power and control from Clock-La.

Soon enough, the pain Gohan felt subsided and the golden glow disappeared, the young Saiyan's head dipping forward. Clock-La, still flying in the same spot she was before watched in curiosity and shock. She could see that the rings had lost their energy powered core and that the electricity being generated to consume its victim was no more. She couldn't explain it or tell what was happening. However, those who were watching knew what was about to happen next.

Sharply, Gohan looked back up, a grin on his face and his eyes still turquoise. Clock-La gasped in shock at the sight, causing Gohan to smirk all the more. His hair stiffened and an unknown wind began to circulate him. "This party… is only beginning…"

Biting down hard, Gohan brought his knees up and hunched himself over, forcing himself into movement and motion. It took all his strength to move his limbs, at the same time combat the pain shooting through his system. His gi was burnt and even more tattered then before and his own body had suffered some minor, bruises, scratches and other damage. However, that wasn't what mattered; it was the currents of golden electricity shooting out of Gohan's body. And, before anyone could utter a word, Gohan let out a loud, agonized scream, his arms and legs shooting outward with his muscles bulging immensely, hardening his mature looks and defying his form. The metal rings restraining the young Saiyan shattered and in a flash of golden light, disintegrated in an explosion of pure power. A golden fiery aura burst up around Gohan accompanied by currents of blue electricity and a earth rattling shock wave. The force of the explosive release of energy almost tore Arpeggio's blimp apart, as well as knock Clock-La back. Bentley and Murray let out surprised yells as the structure beneath their feet shook violently and Murray fell over while Bentley staggered around the place, trying to keep his balance. All the while, he could hear the echoing scream bellowing from Gohan's lungs as the young Saiyan powered up to his absolute maximum.

"Whoa, I'm like a boat in the ocean and Gohan's the hurricane… Ahh", Bentley screamed, falling over from the violently shaking structure.

All around, the clouds separated from the shockwave spreading out caused by Gohan's energy release before dying down. Gohan's scream was still echoing around the place as the young Saiyan's energy continued fluctuating. His golden aura was whooshing violently around him, generating wind gales of hurricane like force and the electrical currents of blue energy around him turning into lightning strikes, far more powerful then before. Within those few seconds of powering up, Gohan hair had dropped down to his knees, stiffened and flashed gold while His eyebrows were burned away and his turquoise eyes were now accompanied by dark green irises. His muscles shined from the smoothness created and all his wounds, bruises and scratches vanished from his transformation. And then, like the lightning, his intense transformation died down and his aura settled but still warped fiercely around him.

Clock-La screeched and backed off, her wings flapping quickly to increase her altitude but retain her position. She was panicking now, but was also fearful of the sight before her. Floating in a bright aura of light was not her opponent, but someone different, someone she did not recognize at all. **_"What's going on… he's different… he's changed! What… what is he!?"_**

Looking up and down this new person who had his head lowered and hands balled at his sides, Clock-Law saw that Gohan was not Gohan anymore. The fact was obvious he had transformed into his Super Saiyan 3 state, but because Clock-La had never seen Gohan transform into that state before, she found it hard to swallow. His form was glowing bright gold as well as being surrounded by a golden, warping aura of energy with bolts of blue lightning shooting out and around him. But that wasn't what scared Clock-La most, besides his startling transformation. When Gohan looked up, his eyes immediately locked with Clock-La's and bore daggers into her, his teeth clenched and his a growl escaping his lips. Clock-La gasped and floated back a bit more however, when Clockwerk's original brain kicked in, Neyla calmed a little and smirked, a hiss escaping her metallic beak.

"**_You… I remember you",_** came Clock-La's reply which now sounded more like Clockwerk's original, croaky voice. This sort of surprised Gohan but because of his new state of mind and emerged Saiyan side, his face remained emotionless but serious. **_"Yes… Gohan… you're the one that did that abnormal transformation. What an ironic coincidence that we should meet again. The golden haired warrior with the strength of a million soldiers and shone in the light of a thousand suns. My recollection of those moments at the volcano's summit though fuzzy in transaction is still perfectly clear. Interesting…"_**

Gohan narrowed his eyes down on the giant bird as he recognized that voice as Clockwerk's. Though as scary as it was, Gohan feared very little as his remembrance of those events above the mouth of the volcano between him and the old bird were still fresh. He remembered pummeling the bird, as well as watching Sly finish him off. By all accounts, Gohan was hoping that it ended in the same way, only this time, he would have the pleasure of exterminating the bird. However, something was puzzling him. Not only has Clockwerk's original voice returned, but so did the presence of the giant mechanical monster. Clock-La's eyes, no longer blue, were now bright gold.

"So Clockwerk, you remember me. And I thought Neyla had full control over you", replied Gohan, floating where he was with his energy still fluctuating around him. Though the young Saiyan knew it was Clockwerk speaking with him now, he was still puzzled to how Clockwerk could still be in his original frame when Neyla's soul had completely taken him over.

Clockwerk grunted but shuddered a moment later before continuing. **_"Old acquaintances bring back bad memories, as well as my soul. The individual known as Neyla also occupies this body, but my mind remains clear despite all interferences. Hate, as I explained all those years ago to you back in Russia still rests in my tainted soul. As long as hate remains in my system, I will live on. You can never stop Clockwerk. Clockwerk is immortal", _**said the accursed owl with hate, malice and anger edged on in his voice, his eyes flashing red with every word he spoke. Gohan furrowed his brow.

"If that is so then I will find a way to put you down once and for all. Every beginning has an end Clockwerk, and you will soon meet yours", stated Gohan, the young Saiyan finding that he meant it. This whole Clockwerk affair was getting out of hand and Gohan figured it was time to end it. No matter how powerful Clockwerk and Clock-La had gotten with their combined powers, he was sure he would find a way to beat them. He had to destroy them both, no matter what the cost. There was no room in this world for a powerful villain like Clockwerk.

"**_Hmm… I sense you are fighting for more then just stopping me. Is it perhaps defending one's own weaknesses or is it just that you are protecting those you care for. Illusions Gohan: vagaries of perception. You believe that protecting someone is right, your feelings drive you on to believe that and you try to justify it by fighting. Well I don't. I believe that one person should look out for none other then himself or herself alone. I thought I could have taken this world over by storm alone, but then I see that there are obstacles to face. You Gohan… you are one of those obstacles",_** said Clockwerk, scrutinizing Gohan with his cold, lifeless eyes.

Gohan glared. "Hitler met his dead ends and obstacles Clockwerk, and so will you. And yes, I'm fighting for more then just stopping you I'm fighting for myself and my friends. I don't care what you think but a person like you will never experience love or any affection", shouted Gohan. "As it is already clear to you, you're a machine, nothing more!" Clockwerk leered, growling and cursing under his breath as Gohan's words hit home.

"**_So… you are trying to protect everyone you care about, love and feel that you should protect. How pathetic. You lower yourself to a degree that only a hero would. Very well, let's see how tough this hero is. I wonder if his strength backs up his claim!"_** yelled the bird angrily. Gohan scowled at Clockwerk from afar, a bolt of lightning streaking past his face and flashing brightly.

"We'll see who's the more powerful", Gohan replied.

Clockwerk leered, his eyes suddenly turning blue again. **_"Very well then",_** Clockwerk said, his soul fading away to be replaced by Neyla's voice. **_"I will crush you Son! Crush you like the dirt beneath my feet!!"_** screamed the resurrected Clock-La. Having infused minds with Clockwerk, Clock-La was fully aware of Clockwerk's emergence but thought nothing of it. Clockwerk allowed her to take his place again and allow the mighty, newer Clock-La to face Gohan. Gohan smirked at this. He figured that Clockwerk was scared and wanted Neyla to take the fall for him. But if there are two souls in one body, then both of them would fall, especially if they were combined and fighting someone known as Gohan.

"Lets go", shouted Gohan. Letting out a yell, the young Saiyan vanished into super speed, his invisible form charging straight at Clock-La. Neyla, seeing her opponent approaching with speeds far greater then her own let out a screech of anger before vanishing as well. Using speeds less then Gohan's the new Clock-La attempted to fight the young Saiyan as best she could. However, she was soon to find out that fighting a full powered Super Saiyan 3 is suicidal. She had nothing to gain.

Carelessly avoiding all obstacles in his way and just crashing into them, Gohan, through super speed sent a punch straight into Clock-La's face, smashing her hard. Clock-La was shocked and just when Gohan's straight, right hand punch collided with her cheek, the two of them reappeared above Arpeggio' blimp with Clock-La being sent hurtling through the air with pieces of screws from her head coming loose and falling off. However, just as Clock-La was hurling through the air, she managed to recover and flip back into position, her wings stretching out at the giant bird diving through the air in gliding formation before she began flapping her wings again, lifting her up back into the sky and quickening her speed. With her new found speed, she turned and charged straight at Gohan who was floating in the air hundreds of meters away from her at a higher altitude.

Letting out a screech, Clock-La activated her weaponry, her plasma turret appearing on her back and its electronic sightings targeting Gohan. The young Saiyan saw this and dropped into a defensive stance. His fight so far in his new transformed state was easy and he was performing his moves effortlessly. But with Clockwerk's newly acquired body, things were about to get tougher.

As soon as the gun had locked onto him, it started blazing away, purple rounds shooting through the air straight at Gohan as Clock-La flew straight towards him. However, before the rounds could strike their target, Gohan fazed out, avoiding each shot by swiftly maneuvering through the air but staying in the same aerial position, the shots Clock-La fired hitting brief afterimages of himself. It was almost like how an agent from the matrix would dodge a bullet but Gohan's was far faster then that and was moving around fully rather then standing in the same spot.

When Clock-La saw her shots miss, she ceased fire and resulted to charging at her target. Gohan, seeing Clock-La stop shooting and all the rounds she fired had bypassed him, the young Saiyan stopped in a straight, standing up position, the last of his brief afterimages fading away. The young Saiyan glared down at Clock-La as she charged at him, her bird like voice echoing through the air toward him. It took a few more seconds, but Clock-La eventually reached her target, and when she did, she stopped in front of her target and began lashing out at him with her claws, moving up into the air a little so she could reach him. Her razor sharp talons made slicing sounds as they slashed violently and swiftly through the air, the attacks seemingly impossible to dodge, especially at that range.

However, as Clock-La lashed out with her slice attacks, she found that her opponent was effortlessly avoiding and dodging them. Through the lightning quick attacks, Gohan was moving faster then even Clock-La could see. It was like there was three of him. Whenever Clock-La lashed out with a downward slash, Gohan either dodged it by moving to left or right. Whenever she did a hook like slash either inward or outwards, Gohan would duck it or move back before moving forward again. And if Clock-La were to punch outward with a talon edged foot, Gohan would move left and right again. To Gohan, this was child's play.

Ridiculously, Neyla would repeat most of the combos and attacks she threw at him that Gohan was able to predict her next move then wait for them to be unleashed. To him, they were moving in slow motion. Clock-La had no fighting style, skill or strengths whatsoever except show off a flamboyant display of power, energy and speed. But when it came down to it, Gohan saw that Clock-La was strong. However, when Neyla was in this body, she found it hard to fight for a few good reasons. One, she was huge, two she didn't have a proper combat fighting body like his and three she was attacking out of fear and anger, making her attacks sloppy. On some of her slash attacks, all Gohan had to do was stay where he was and watch as the attacks went by.

This process continued for a while with Gohan continuously dodging her attacks until he grew tired of it and decided to put more motion and movement into this. Avoiding once last attack, Gohan fazed out and vanished into super speed, deciding to change positions by flying through the network of frames created by Arpeggio's blimp. Clock-La, seeing her opponent move gave chase and pursued him through the blimp's structure, her screech ringing throughout the sky. The two of them met somewhere within the air space of Arpeggio's blimp and began mercilessly attacking each other, all the while relocating, avoiding the other person's attacks, retreating and putting space in between the other fighter so for more air space to breath. But because both combatants were fit or had no need to breath such as Clock-La, the fight went on without pause. Shock waves soon made an appearance as both fighters started exchanging powerful blows, most of which were made by impacting punches from Gohan. Though, the force of the shockwaves could be seen, the fighters were invisible as they traveled in super speed throughout the structure of the blimp, weaving in and out of walkways and making it out into wide spread open air, mostly just outside of the blimp's perimeter. If you were to watch intently and closely, you could see the two of them reappearing, throwing an attack, receiving a painful blow or attack the other person.

This fight was almost endless as not only shock waves could be heard but the grunts of both fighters. Clock-La, being a giant bird screeched at most times if being hit or attacking to try and throw her opponent off. This fight was to continue for quite some times before the rest of the structure of the blimp started to receive damage from the swift moving fighters who couldn't careless whether the entire blimp was destroyed or not. But, after several more shock waves that exploded quickly, sharply and in great force, the two of them made their appearance, only this time, Gohan was to make his attack.

Moving forward with great speeds, Gohan's form started to reemerge slowly in a kicking motion. His form was first blurry and flickering from the speed he was traveling at as if particles from around the place were gathering to form his body. However, it only seemed like this because he was traveling at great speeds and was slowing down. Anyway, when he did slow down he was seen in a kicking motion, his hands held upwards and his body traveling forwards head first with his left leg cranked back behind him. When his form was completely visible, a shock wave followed his reappearance and a second later, the still Super Saiyan 3 Gohan, whose aura had died down recently, threw a powerful roundhouse kick at something invisible or transparent in front of him. What resulted was another loud shock wave as Gohan's kick struck a flying Clock-La directly in the chest, the kick swinging the bird around and sending her hurling toward one of the helium balloons keeping Arpeggio's blimp afloat. Clock-La, who had recently been knocked flying in super speed form before which the resounding shock wave that made itself known after Gohan had reappeared, was knocked flying again, only for her form to reappear, causing a lot of damage. When she struck the helium balloon, it exploded, a ball of fire engulfing its victim in a raging inferno and smoke bellowing outwards, blocking off any view of the victim of the terrible attack.

Seeing his opponent at a disadvantage, Gohan turned toward the exploding blimp and, throwing both his hands out, let out a yell and released barrage after barrage of ki blasts, all of which were centered on the fiery explosion and smoke. The blasts honed in and struck their target, but whatever else inside that raging inferno was also struck. Gohan ended his attack then and when he stopped, he redrew his hands and stood up straight again, floating in the same position in the air and watching the smoke bellow out. The helium balloon which was still engulfed in flames slowly dropped out of the sky, its smoke still hurling skyward. Just as Gohan was watching the smoke cloud his view of Clock-La and the extent of whatever damage he had done, the smoke suddenly dispersed quickly and emerging from the smoke and fire was Clock-La, her wings flapping and her energy shield projected around her, crackling with electricity and some flames bellowing off the surface of the shield as a result of flying debris. Gohan flinched.

Clock-La let out an agonized screech before throwing her wings outward, her shield vanishing along with the electricity and fire. The frame of the newly made Clockwerk was a disgrace. The surface of Clock-La was all battered, bruised, dented and ash ridden and some of the metallic feathers of the wings were gone or bent in odd angles. One of her clawed feet was also severely burnt, as was the tail feathers. But what was more battered was her chassis and face. Clock-La's eyebrows were bent and burnt, and the beak was bent out of place, the bottom jaw locked in an odd angle and some of the gears showing on the right cheek. From what Gohan could see, Clock-La was furious from her severe beating.

"**_I REFUSE TO BE BEATEN!! I am Clock-La, the most powerful being in the world! You are nothing",_** she screamed. Flapping her wings violently, she suddenly shot straight at her opponent, rocket thrusters appearing beneath her talons and propelling her at amazing speeds directly at her opponent, head first. Gohan was caught by surprise at this and, attempting to block her out with an X block, was suddenly knocked flying back with a grunt and a loud thud. Because he didn't know where he was going, Gohan could not stop himself but was only halted when he crashed into another one of the smaller balloons keeping the giant structure they were fighting within aloft. The same effect happened with Clock-La as the small balloon burst into flames, the fire consuming her opponent.

Following through just like her opponent had done, Clock-La projected all three of her plasma cannons and with amazing force, began hammering away at the ball of fire and bellowing smoke where the balloon and her target should be. The rounds exploded within the fireball, worsening the flames and causing more explosions to erupt from the reaction of the energy of the attacks and gas. Clock-La continued firing away at her unseen foe with her machine guns but stopped soon after, the cannons on her feet and the one on her back overheating from the non-stop barrage. When she retracted her weapons Clock-La roared with glee and joy, her screech like laughter echoing all around.

"**_YES!! Take that you slime dog",_** Clock-La screamed into the fire where her supposed target now lay defeated or was incinerated. Her celebrations were cut short however when the fire and smoke was suddenly extinguished by a violent aura bursting up from the centre of the flames, blowing all the smoke and burning debris away. Clock-La was silenced and stared in shock as her opponent remerged in true Saiyan style. A second later, the aura died down and floating within the open air space with his arms folded and a smirk on his face was a still Super Saiyan Gohan. Looking up at his opponent, he grunted in dissatisfaction.

"Nice shooting… for a fire works display. Your aim was lousy what were you shooting at", asked Gohan cockily. Clock-La trembled in fear but, recovering from her stupor let out a screech before glaring at Gohan with blood red eyes. If looks could kill, Gohan would have been dead from the dagger flying at him thrown by Clock-La's gaze.

"**_You… YOU!! I hate you Gohan Son!! I'll send you into oblivion if it's the last thing I… AAARRRGGGHHHH!!"_** Clock-La screeched when she was suddenly consumed by an explosion and was sent hurling forward. A bright light illuminated off of her back forward by bellowing flames and smoke issuing off of her now partially damaged back. So easily distracted and caught off guard, Clock-La suffered a lot of pain. Even Gohan was surprised by the sudden screech and explosion and looked in the direction of where the source of the explosion was. He smiled however when his eyes landed on a few familiar faces driving what he took as the M-1001 Hornet.

Wheeling around in the air, Clock-La glared in the direction of where the shot came from and gasped when she saw the helicopter flying not too far from her position, howling rocket launchers on both its sides smoking as well as the forward machine gun. From what Clock-La could see was a smirking Carmelita at the wheel with Sly beside her in the passenger seat and Videl in the lower machine gun compartment. All of them were waving at her. **_"Hey birdie!! Over here",_** taunted Sly over the megaphones on the chopper. Clock-La, shocked and exhausted from all that has gone on let out an enraged screech before taking off after them.

"**_YOU REALLY WANT TO DIE DON'T YOU COOPER!!"_** screeched Clock-La, attacking the black helicopter without mercy. Carmelita, seeing Clock-La charging at them through quick reflexes made a sharp, downward turn to avoid the bird. Clock-La barely missed them and ended up clamping her beak down on thin air. However, because of her wings, she was able to slow down in mid-flight and turn round, opening her mouth again and unleashing a torrent of green electrical energy from the same cannon she used to fire straight beams from her mouth. The energy attack missed the chopper by a mile and during the time Clock-La fired, Carmelita retreated, Sly jumping out of the seat and rushing to the rear turret before Clock-La gave chase again.

Clock-La, seeing to her misfortune that she had missed her opponent spun around and gave chase, letting out a screech before beginning full pursuit. The chopper, incredibly enough was as fast as a jet and began its quick jet stream away from the bird. When Sly had reached the rear turret, he sat himself down, pulled back on the bolt at the same time loading the weapon before beginning to fire heavy 50 caliber rounds at Clock-La. Clock-La ate the rounds smack bang in the face but as the rounds continued hammering into her face, the bird shook her head too shake off the pain before she looked back up and began carelessly avoiding the shots. Spinning through the air with grace and agility, she flew harder and faster to catch up, activating all the weapons systems available on her.

Gohan, who watched Carmelita's expert flying, was surprised to see the chopper quickly maneuvering out of harms way but still being pursued by Clock-La. Watching closely, he saw Carmelita maneuver the chopper through tight spaces, over and under walkways and past the many steel frames making up Arpeggio's blimp. Though incredible as it was, Clock-La was having a hard time keeping a good flight pattern and keeping up. Apparently, Clock-La had weakened greatly in her fight with him previously and that was easy to tell from her carelessness and effort to keep up with her new target. But, figuring he should help, Gohan chased after them.

Sly meanwhile was too busy hammering rounds and trying to hit his target. Looking down the sights of the double barreled machine guns, he fired off short bursts. Whenever he got Clock-La in a good line of fire, he would fire off a long burst before stopping to wait for his weapon to cool down. Unfortunately for them, Clock-La had begun returning fire by peppering the chopper with plasma blasts. Carmelita, using the radar systems was first to pull out and avoid the rounds, using the joystick to move while hitting the accelerator of the chopper at the same time.

Just as Clock-La avoided another barrage of fire which resulted in her smacking into a walkway and breaking it, the bird let out a screech before shooting her beak forward and spreading it wide open, releasing a torrent of aqua colored electrical energy, the beam shooting straight at the chopper. Sly growled in frustration and spun around, leaving the manned turret's sights. "Watch out Carmelita! INCOMING!!" shouted Sly. Carmelita, hearing this, turned hard, spinning in the air and turning right and weaved through another network of walkways. The electrical beam of energy weaved after them like a heat seeking missile but struck a walkway instead. Seeing the explosion fail to incinerate her targets, Clock-La followed after them, trying her best this time not to knock into any offending obstacles. Unfortunately for her, she was still getting peppered by machine gun fire and pieces of her was getting hammered and shot off. She was getting bullet wounds now as her inner system started to get affected.

Sly continued peppering away at Clock-La who continued to try and evade his sharp eyes and well placed shots. Giving off short bursts continuously and repeatedly every several seconds, Sly began chipping off different parts of his target. Taking out one of the turrets at her feet as well as chipping her wings, chest chassis and knocking off one of the ring launcher's which was the one on her left wing, Sly began affecting her with real bad damage. If that wasn't enough, he knocked Clockwerk's mono brow up a bit, ruining her focus. Just as Sly was attempting to take out another one of her turrets, Clock-La made another attack. Letting out a screech she sent another electrical beam their way. Carmelita avoided again, but only barely. The explosion radius however managed to catch some of the chopper within it. The blast consumed the bottom left side of the chopper, throwing its balance off and sending it spinning through the air, plummeting toward the ground. However, keeping their cool, the group managed to pull the chopper back up, Carmelita fixing the joystick up and pulling the chopper back into submission, smoke trailing behind it from the small flame issuing on the balas left wing close to the rocket launcher.

Clock-La, seeing their disadvantage, screeched loudly before diving down at them, her eyes glowing red with determination of being able to finish off her targets. Three in one basket, made easy pickings. However, just as she was about to reach them, a certain figure suddenly appeared out of thin air in front of her. Startled, she didn't have time to stop when she suddenly received a mind boggling punch to the face by the young warrior, a shock wave erupting from the impact as she was sent flying upwards. Unfortunately for her, when Super Saiyan 3 Gohan appeared in front of her, the blow that sent her flying sent her hurling upwards to where Arpeggio's flying fortress hovered many meters above. This resulted into her crashing through several walkways, knocking off a few soldiers and flight officers in the process before she stopped when she crushed into the massive propeller that was the centre of Arpeggio's blimp. In a massive bang and explosion, the propeller was dislodged and the entire structure of Arpeggio's blimp suddenly started to come apart, much to Gohan and the rest of the gang's shock. It was even more shocking that Bentley and Murray were still on board.

Clock-La, meanwhile had managed to regain flight control and was looking around, seeing the entire blimp starting to come apart, pieces of it detaching and plummeting back to earth. It was only through this did she notice the Northern light battery and the control centre at the back of the blimp. Through sharp, keen eyes, Clock-La spotted a panicking Murray and Bentley within the control centre, the pair of the gripping hold of whatever they could onto the metallic supports and walls. Smirking, Clock-La let out a screech before flying up towards them. Carefully avoiding more walkways and plummeting debris, Clock-La made a daring dive and in one feral swoop, grabbed the roof of the control centre. Yanking it out of its place and position, Clock-La turned around and began following the exploding blimp. Within moments, the entire structure had come apart and the whole thing was now on a crash course down to earth. Feeling victory course through her wire like veins, Clock-La let out a owl like roar and turned to where Gohan and the chopper containing Sly, Carmelita and Videl were flying. Her cold blue eyes glared daggers at them.

"**_Come and try and save your friends. This entire blimp is going to crash in the centre of Paris and you're just in time to watch the final show. If I can't beat you, I'll kill your friends and destroy the city instead",_** shouted Clock-La. With that, the massive bird took off again at full speed, making sure she was at the front of the plummeting and tumbling debris which were diving at a very acute angle. It was understandable since the blimp had been moving very fast and now the debris remains of Arpeggios flying fortress was following the blimp's dive path.

"**_AAAAHHHHH… save us Gohan… save us",_** cried Bentley through the binocucom. From the sounds of it, Bentley was really scared and Gohan couldn't deny it. Who wouldn't be scared of a giant, maniacal and paranoid owl having just taken them and was now on route to kill them. Murray however wasn't really panicking. In fact, the hippo had gripped onto a roof part of the control centre and was repeatedly pounding one of Clock-La's talons with his fists. Unfortunately, it was proving futile.

"**_Let… go…you…ugly… owl",_** shouted Murray in between punches, unaware that his binocucom was on as well as his ear piece.

Gohan growled in frustration as he watched his friends get carried away and, in a fit of desperation and determination, Gohan shot after Clock-La, his aura bursting around him violently as the young Saiyan pulled out his two swords, the golden blades glimmering in the light of the moon. Within seconds, Gohan sped up with rocket like speeds after his escaping bird. Carmelita who had seen Gohan take off followed after him. Hitting the thrusters and accelerators the chopper had she sped up after the young Saiyan in an effort to catch up with him and Clock-La. All the while, both Gohan and Carmelita avoided the falling debris as best as they could, being sure not to get up in it.

Clock-La, who was ahead of the falling wreckage of Arpeggio's blimp suddenly sensed her two primary targets pursuing her and, glancing behind her saw to her dismay that Gohan and the Hornet chopper was gaining on her. Growling, she sped up as best as she could, the debris however still falling at the same speeds as her flight. Murray and Bentley held on tightly as best as they could, trying their best not to release and plummet to their deaths.

Gohan avoided a spinning propeller, barely missing it before continuing on, bringing up all the energy he could and speeding after the escaping target. Carmelita also sped up however, took a different alternative. Exiting the radius of the falling debris, Carmelita punched full speed, not having to worry about getting hit by any stray debris. She managed to get ahead of Gohan and slowly closed in on Clock-La.

Within seconds, she was right above her, flying about a couple stories above actually. By this time, Sly and Videl were standing next to the entrance of the chopper in a compartment where the soldiers usually sat and stood to await entering a battlefield. When they saw Clock-La come into view, Sly just watched helplessly while Vide, being the creative and smart girl she was, pulled the shotgun out from the holster behind her and with her favorite 12 gauge auto-loading shot gun, began pumping rounds down onto the escaping Clock-La. The rounds hit home and holes were punched straight into the back of the giant bird. Clock-La screeched and looked up to see what was hitting her. She found it to her horror that it was Videl standing in the exiting compartment of the chopper, a shot gun in her hand. Smirking, Videl cocked the shot gun before firing it, repeating the process over and over again before she had emptied all her rounds on her target.

Running out, Videl began reloading more rounds into her weapon from her ammo belt. While she was doing this, Sly stepped forward, gripping onto the upper railings for balance. Glaring down at Clockwerk, Sly turned to Videl and Carmelita who was still at the pilot's seat. Because there was a door between this compartment and the pilot section of the chopper, it allowed Sly to speak with the vixen. "Carmelita, keep driving. I'm going to jump onto Clock-La's back and try and stop her", said Sly. Carmelita glanced behind her at hearing this and the expression she sent him, though was one of protest was also of concern.

"OK Sly but… be careful", replied the vixen. Sly nodded and then turned to Videl.

"When I jump onto her shoulder plates, hammer her tail feathers, it will throw her off course and force her to land", said Sly. Videl, with a final, affirmative nod continued reloading just as Sly leapt out of the compartment. Like professional sky divers, Sly dived straight down toward Clock-La however, when he saw that he was not going to land in the state he was, the raccoon suddenly pulled from his pack a large piece of strong cotton like material before gripping two hands on it and throwing up. What resulted was a full opening of the material to reveal it to be a Cooper symbol paraglider. The paraglider kept Sly airborne and helped his descent. Carmelita and Videl were astounded none to say the least. Within moments, the raccoon had landed and relinquishing his hold on his paraglider, let it go. He had plenty of others to spare and when he was firmly stationed on Clock-La's back, he crawled over to where her head was.

Clock-La, feeling someone on her back turned it slight and growled when she saw Sly on her back. Unable to do anything about it because of the extra weight she was carrying, the giant mechanical bird cursed. **_"Darn you Sly Cooper!! You just can't help yourself",_** screamed Clock-La. Sly grinned and, gripping his cane in two hands, held it up before throwing the hook end down onto the roof of her head, smashing her hard. The bird screamed in pain as small plates and gears went flying as they were knocked out of place from the strong blow.

"No I can't", he replied with a grin. He was about to hit her again when he noticed how close they were coming to the ground and, when he did, he changed positions and instead, gripped onto one of the dislocated pieces for support, feeling the wind pick up dramatically. However, when he sensed someone coming down from behind, Sly glanced behind him to see Gohan diving straight for him, aura blazing and swords held up. The young Saiyan smiled at the raccoon, receiving a smirk in return from the raccoon before Sly gripped on tighter. When Gohan was finally in range, the young Saiyan cranked his right arm back and in one feral movement, sent his sword's blade straight into the back of Clock-La, the bird screeching from the sudden pain to join her already smoking head.

"**_AAAARRRGGGHHHH!!! YOU!!"_** she screamed, unable to do anything about the pain she felt. Gohan, smirking, yanked the sword out from her back and spun through the air, ducking underneath Clock-La and coming up underneath her vulnerable underbelly. In a swift movement, Gohan slashed at her chassis, creating a long gash that ruptured her insides and ceasing her wing movement. Sly felt the lurch and they both heard the agonized screech of the giant bird. Bentley and Murray, who were still desperately trying to hold onto whatever they could were unable to see anything but, were able to hear their captive screeching loudly. And that only meant one thing.

Satisfied, Gohan shot forward and gripping the sword in his left hand tightly, cranked it back, strengthening the would be power of the blow he would soon send into his target. Smirking, Gohan looked upon the startled face of his enemy and nodded. "Eat this Clockwerk", shouted Gohan before he sent the blade of his sword in a straight jab line motion straight into the vulnerable space in between Clock-La's chest and head, slicing right into her neck. Despite being unable to breath, Clock-La let out the loudest, agonized screech she could before she suddenly plummeted faster.

After quickly pulling the sword out of Clock-La's throat and shoving the two of them back into the scabbard's on his back, Gohan crawled down the length of the owl's body before coming up to the control centre she held firmly in between her toes and, seeing Bentley and Murray still inside, crawled in. Quickly, he gathered the two up in his arms and with little effort, flew out of the control centre and landed on Clock-La's back. Seeing Sly still holding onto Clockwerk's neck collar, the young Saiyan walked over to him with Murray over his shoulder and Bentley tucked underneath his arm. Grabbing hold of Sly's outstretched hand when the raccoon saw his friend and respond on instinct to the situation, the young Saiyan then pulled up and pushed off of Clock-La, the young Saiyan taking to the air before stopping and looking back down to where Clock-La would land.

Meanwhile, Videl had pulled the sights up on her auto-shot gun and was carefully taking aim. With a smirk on her face and the combination of the chopper and the plummeting Clock-La keeping her target in her sights, the raven haired girl pulled the trigger and fired, the spray shot hitting the Clockwerk tail feathers with extraordinary force. The shot knocked the Clockwerk tail feathers askew, causing a chain reaction. The bent tail feathers caused Clock-La, not only to drop her load, but to send her lifeless body spinning through the air where her landing would be most painful with her tail feathers unable to control her fall. Videl was pleased.

Watching the flaming wreckage of Arpeggio's blimp and the remains of Clockwerk plummet into the cityscapes of Paris below, Gohan, Sly, Murray and Bentley watched as best as they could before the entire structure crashed with all haste in one of the open parks of Paris beside the River Seine. An explosion and a shock wave erupted from the crash of the Clock-La remains and Arpeggio's blimp, followed by repeated, loud thuds of heavy debris and metal upon the grassy surface of the park beside the river. Many of the Arpeggio remains crashed into the river at the same time Clock-La's body skidded across the ground before coming to a stop, her legs and tail feathers in the river and the rest of her upper body stuck on land, lying lifeless and limp. Within moments, when the smoke cleared from the enormous crash, the full extent of the massive crash was revealed.

Landing lightly on the ground in front of the Clock-La corpse, the four of them scattered around to see to their dismay that Clock-La was still alive, her cold blue eyes still glowing brightly and her head shuddering. Gohan, who was still in Super Saiyan 3 remained cautious as he wasn't sure whether Clock-La was totally finished but Sly, Bentley and Murray just stood and stared at the mess Clock-La was in. The smoke from the remains of Arpeggio's blimp bellowed into the air as the fires of the wreckage burnt on into the night. The Eiffel tower could be seen in the distance, silhouetted against the beautiful, starry night sky. It was a true image for Clockwerk's final defeat. But Clock-La was still alive, as was Clockwerk's soul itself. They had to destroy it.

The Clockwerk head trembled violently before its lifeless eyes glanced up at the four thieves in front of him; its beak bent in an awkward position and unable to move, but despite all the damage it had suffered managed to utter its words in its Neyla like voice. She was still alive.

"**_SON!!... COOPER!!... You will… never… be… able to… beat… Clock-La!! I… am… IMMORTAL",_** she managed to screech out, her voice muffled by her deadbeat beak.

Bentley, turning to Murray and his friends nodded towards the still active head before speaking. "Guys, I need to get at that hate chip before we destroy her. Clock-La needs her lights put out where it hurts most", said Bentley. Gohan and the others heard this and as if on cue, Murray stepped forward and went to play his part.

"Don't worry Bentley, I'll pry open that beak easily", yelled Murray. Gohan and Sly saw this and not wanting to grab all the glory stepped back, allowing Murray to take to the plate. Bentley nodded and jogged over to the Clockwerk heard, the giant bird's eyes following the turtle with malice, hate and anger to be seen.

Pounding his fists together, Murray dashed over to the Clockwerk head and gripped its beak in both his hands tightly, lifting the upper beak upward while growling under the strain and pressure. Amazingly, despite the strength of the mouth, Murray managed to pry it open, revealing what was inside.

"Come on… Bentley! Get at that hate chip now!" growled Murray as he pulled the beak off of its hinges, lifting it free. Bentley, seeing the beak open was startled, just like Gohan and Sly to see a holographic projection of Neyla floating within Clockwerk's throat, her white eyes staring at them in anger. Murray, seeing this let go in shock as the holographic projection of Neyla glared at him, her teeth bearing in malice toward the group.

"**_You… Cooper gang! I hate you! I HATE YOU!! YOU CAN'T BEAT ME",_** she screamed at the top of her lungs in a computer like voice. Bentley, feeling no pity toward the crippled Neyla, walked underneath the beak and, pulling from the roof of Clockwerk's throat a peculiar chip from a hidden slot. Just as he did so, a grey, wired chip with a golden globe piece appeared in his hand, the rectangular, palm sized piece gleaming in his eyes and glasses. Bentley smirked at this and stepped onto Clockwerk's bottom jaw, holding the chip up in triumph. Within seconds, the holographic projection of Neyla's heads vanished, along with her words.

"**_GOHAN! SLY! I… hate…you…"_** she screamed, her last words and voice fading away. With that, her hologram vanished, the entire frame shutting down completely. With the core piece disconnected, it was over.

"We did it guys! We did it", cheered Bentley happily. Gohan and Sly sighed in relief as well as Murray, all of them pleased and relieved that it was finally over. But then, before they could do anything else, tragedy struck. Just as Bentley was stepping off of the beak, the upper part of the beak suddenly clamped shut, the beak knocking Bentley forward and crushing his lower body. The turtle screamed in agony as he dropped to the floor, feeling the weight of the upper beak crushing down on him.

"AAARRRRHHHHH! HELP… Gohan…Sly…Murray…help me!!" screamed the turtle, bellowing out in sheer agony. Gasping, Gohan and Sly ran over while Murray immediately bent down and attempted to raise the upper beak again to save his friend. Unfortunately, it was proving to be far more difficult then before.

"Bentley!" yelled Sly in shock.

"Hold on pal, we'll get you out of there", shouted Gohan. The pair reached the beak and within a second's time, Murray lifted the beak free. With Gohan's help, the group carried the wounded Bentley out of there. However, just before they were completely out of Clockwerk's attack zone, Gohan spun around and throwing his free right hand toward the lifeless head, the young Saiyan sent a high powered golden ki blast right between Clockwerk's eyes. In one final, massive explosion, the attack devastated whatever was left of the maniacal birds, Clockwerk's entire frame exploding with its parts flying everywhere along with its debris. When the shock wave past and the light of the fiery explosion died down, whatever remains of Clockwerk was now in pieces.

With the remains of Clockwerk scattered around the place and the exhausted Cooper gang standing on the waters edge on watch… it was now safe to say it was over…

* * *

_**Gohan's thoughts…**_

"And there we were, at the end of the road. The Klaww gang had been defeated and the Clockwerk parts lay scattered around in heaps. It was just as we had pictured it, our final victory over the maniacal bird. But we didn't picture it with the costs and consequences. For the time being, we all just stood and watched as the parts floated in the Seine River. Despite all that had happened to them, they remained prestige. It was as if nothing could ever hurt them. They were supposed to be completely destroyed after that final attack, but they weren't. Damaged they may be they were still in full form from the Clockwerk head right down to the Clockwerk tail feathers."

"Right on schedule, Carmelita and Videl arrived on the scene in their stolen chopper. They cursed themselves for arriving too late to have their shot at Clock-La. But they knew better, that they had played their part and were proud of it. However, they still weren't satisfied with whatever work they had done. So, they took it out on what was close at hand, the Hate chip. And just like that it was over. Together, they stepped on that small computer piece, crushing it into the ground beneath their feet, grinding it into the dust. It was over. Without that core piece, that absolute soulless centre of Clockwerk, there was no way he could exist anymore. It was this essential piece of Clockwerk that had kept him alive for so long, for hundreds of years had he lived off of the Hate from this piece. But now, he was destroyed. So much for the immortal bird…"

"Together, the gang watched as the Clockwerk parts aged before our very eyes as if time had finally caught up with them. Turning into ash before disintegrating into the night air, the Clockwerk parts were gone and the threat was finally extinguished. How ironic that Carmelita and Videl, former cops of the law could have lifted the curse off of Sly's shoulders and blood. It was confirmed from that moment on that Clockwerk would never again return to harm him or his children. The world was safe once again, but I knew I couldn't take all the credit. We all played a part in stopping Clockwerk and Clock-La from their quest of destruction and world domination. At the same time, we brought the Klaww gang saga to a close. What a way to end a chapter. However, we didn't leave without our scars."

"Bentley, having been crushed by Clockwerk's upper beak was left crippled. His legs were too badly injured and broken to fully recover, meaning he wouldn't be able to walk again. We all comforted him and as a team, headed back to the Cooper gang hideout. Out of all of us who took Bentley's injuries as a pain of our own, Murray was hurt the most. Bentley had been like a brother to him… to me… to us! He had been one of the only family member's I ever had and now he was hurt. I kicked at my shins, realizing that not all things could go as planned. I knew that it would end in tragedy as things would go bad before it got better, and now the conclusion showed it."

"For now… a new chapter has been written and had ended. But what the future had in store for us was unknown…"

"We would just have to find out."

* * *

**Cooper gang:**

_Sly Cooper: 1,500_

_Murray: 1,950_

_Bentley: 325_

_Carmelita Fox: 1,100_

_Videl Satan: 1,200_

_Gohan: 200,000,000_

_Super Saiyan Gohan: 400,000,000_

_Super Saiyan 2 Gohan: 625,000,000_

_Super Saiyan 3: 2,500,000,000_

**Klaww gang:**

_Dimitri: 1,000_

_Dimitri (ring laser): 5,000_

_Rajan (base): 2,150_

_Rajan (Clockwerk heart power boost): 215,000,000_

_Rajan (Weakened): 1,350_

_The Contessa: 1,000_

_The Contessa (hypno-glare): 2,000_

_Jean Bison: 3,000_

_Arpeggio: 12_

**Clock-La/Neyla/Clockwerk:**

_Captain Neyla: 950_

_Clock-La: 550,000,000_

_Clock-La (Plasma machine gun cannons): 100,000,000_

_Clock-La (Energy beak gun): 500,000,000_

_Clock-La (Electro rings): 150,000,000_

_Clock-La (weakened): 2,000_

**Other:**

_Rat thugs: 150_

_Toad thugs: 100_

_Boar Spotlight guards: 200_

_Nightclub guards: 175_

_Mercenary solider(s): 250_

_Rajan's guards: 300_

_Jean Bison's spotlight guards: 225_

_Jean Bison's duck guards: 150_

_Hill Top Hikers Mercenary soldiers: 200_

_Hill Top Hikers Mercenary officers: 250_

_Arpeggio's spotlight guards: 300_

_Arpeggio's soldiers: 285_

_Arpeggio's flight officers: 200_

_Arpeggio's gunner crew: 185_

**Interpol:**

_Interpol Police: 200_

_Interpol Riot Police: 1,000_

_Interpol Special Forces: 1,000_

_Prague guards: 250_

_Contessa soldiers: 300

* * *

_

TO BE CONTINUED…


	22. New Life and Discovery

DRAGONBALL Z **meets _Sly Cooper_**

_**NEW LIFE AND DISCOVERY**_

_**Gohan's thoughts…**_

"For days the gang and I stood by Bentley as he lay in bed, slowly recovering from his paralyzed state. The turtle had never suffered wounds like this before in his life, and neither had we. The only true pains we felt were regret, grief, displeasure and sadness. Ever since the Clockwerk incident weeks ago the battle had left us scarred for life, wounds that tore us apart from the inside. We were exhausted from our whole ordeal and spent all of our time resting and waiting. Sly was not in the mood to get out onto the field just yet and so helped around our home. Carmelita and Videl, who were new to the gang, occupied the free rooms of our hideout and claimed it as their own, now that they were apart of our family. I however spent most of my time talking with Bentley, keeping him company and helping him heal. Though I may have been powerful, my ki could not heal him. This was something I hated myself for, that I could not heal as well with my powers or use them to cure wounds. But out of all of us, Murray was steadily growing more insecure and his once enthusiastic self was slowly deteriorating. It was as if his personality had finally waned out. He was becoming more worried of his own actions and was afraid of becoming a burden on his friends. I tried my best to help him but he said that my wisdom was not enough to help him. I felt sorry I couldn't help as well as I once could."

"That same tone seemed to have rubbed off on Bentley as the turtle also feared that he would become a burden on his friends. With the help of Sly, we convinced him that he would not and from then on in, Bentley began to cheer up. For the next few days, he was up and running… well, not in a way one would think. He would be seen moving around the gang's hideout in his wheelchair, tinkering with his inventions at his desk, forming new weaponry, computer systems, electronics and more amazingly, new devices that would be fitted to his wheelchair. The gang helped him around as best as we could and whenever he needed it, but as his confidence and strength grew, he insisted that we didn't need to help him. We trusted him on that part and let him be. It was amazing to see his old strength return as well as his enthusiasm to get back on the field. At one point, he recalled his old thieving uniform; the old extra armor, the British WWI explorer's helmet, utility belt, boots, Kar98 Mauser rifle, Webley and Scott Mark IV revolver and ammunition belt. Instead of dressing into it, he displayed it in a tube where it would remain in its state and condition. After which he formulated a new outfit. A bicycle helmet colored blue, a chest and torso chassis also blue, a new form of utility belt warn over a bullet proof vest, elbow, knee and shin guards and a holster with a new side arm. This time he chose a Colt 1911A1 45 automatic pistol, courtesy of Videl's weaponry connection."

"A couple months later, when Bentley was up and running again with his new devices and field uniform, he began interacting with the gang more and more. He even developed a relation with the new member's, Carmelita and Videl. Every so often, he would get together with Carmelita and discuss things with her, things such as the vehicles she drove and the aircraft she was capable of flying and her connection with Interpol. Sly would also join the conversations and listen in with interest. But, as it turns out, Carmelita rarely left Sly's side and when we finally started returning to the heists, Carmelita stuck beside him, helping the gang in every way she could. She became a vital element to the team as her ability to pilot air-craft proved to be very useful for reconnaissance missions and getting airborne maps of the heist areas when it was required. So far, her favorite chopper became the M-1001 Hornet she battled Clock-La in as it had a silent engine and was fast, able to carry immense loads and give off tremendous firepower. As far as we could tell, she was having the time of her life, something she had never experienced while working with Interpol."

"The same went for Videl and just like Carmelita; she stuck by my side wherever I went. We shared a lot of quality time together and when I was visiting Bentley, she would accompany me. Her weapon specializing became another vital element to the team as she was able to handle weapons big and small. She also provided a lot of firepower for the team, able to take down multiple opponents, reduce heavy vehicles into mush and able to work well alongside Carmelita because of their partnership in their former rolls of officers of Interpol. Sly, Bentley and I were impressed with their skills and strengths and inspired by this, we strived to be better then we were before; working as a team and not just as individuals. But that was hard to accomplish as we already worked exceptionally well as a team."

"Sly had taken up a lot of training sessions provided by Bentley in the newly built 'Hazard room'. The turtle and I watched his progress through each practice and simulation we created for him and were impressed by how much more strength, skill and agility he achieved. The raccoon showed more promise then ever, and after the Clock-La case, he had gotten far stronger then before. The paraglider he used now became an effective tool of dropping down from heights the rest of the team wouldn't even dare attempt. His skill at fighting increased ten fold and his ability to handle his cane also improved. When it came to climbing, sneaking, paragliding, brawling and approaching tasks with ease and confidence, Sly was the man for the job."

"I on the other hand achieved a lot in my own time. Having strengthened to a point where I felt I couldn't strengthen anymore, I decided to focus more on my skill, arts, ability, health and focus. Self awareness and attention out on the field whether in battle or not were important elements to a thief. A fighter like me would use these elements to my advantage. By sticking to meditation more, I was able to enhance my reflexes as well as make myself more flexible. Not only did I increase these key elements, I was also able to flex my timetable a little more so that I could spend more time with Videl and the others. Videl joined me on many of my journeys into the depths of the mind and concentration by sitting beside me and meditating. She was definitely a fast learner. But as time rolled on, she decided that she and Carmelita should move into more training sessions that would strengthen their ability's, agility, strength and skills."

"So, in accordance with their suggestions and demands, Bentley set up training programs for both Carmelita and Videl. It was here where the pair of them would experience simulations in the hazard room where it would test them and push them to their own limits. Videl would have targets set up for her to be used to test her skills at using her fire arms and have simulated guards she would take down and take on as tests for her strength and own fighting skills. A gymnasium was also created for both her and Carmelita as the pair used the same simulations as the other. However, Carmelita had a different simulation set up that would test her piloting skills. Unfortunately, Bentley wasn't able to produce any training simulations for me for I would overcome them with ease and that they were hardly a test for me. But the room did serve as a perfect place where I could personally hone in on my fighting skills alone and was also a good place where Bentley was able to simulate the increase in gravity, a new element on Bentley's behalf. By increasing the gravity, I was able to train under intense conditions and impossible atmosphere's. It was a stroke of pure genius I must say and I thanked Bentley for it."

"As the days rolled on, things improved and began to look up for the Cooper gang. The various, small time heists we went on, though were easy, were perfect opportunities to test ourselves and see how much our training has paid off. They were also perfect opportunities for us to reclaim stolen treasures that were wrongfully taken by villain figureheads and other would be criminals. We also earned us a few trophies and prizes along the way. Pay day for us everyday, the gang together made millions and we shipped in tons of loot. The basement of the gang's hideout was so full that we could barely move out any of our personal valuables from there. Piles of gold were stacked up at hill like heights, reaching the ceiling almost. We caught up on recreation every once in a while and achieved great results. It was as if our scars were healing and the team was retracing their steps, back onto the path we had been following years before. However, what didn't seem to improve was Murray's state."

"My best friend had darkened a little and his constant insecurity on the heists weakened him to a point where he could not carry on. The burden on his shoulders was becoming too great and we could all sense it. One day, when we all returned from a very successful heist, despite all obstacles Murray had to face, we were all shocked to hear from Murray that he was leaving the group. It was revealed to us that after Bentley's legs were broken, Murray blamed himself for Bentley's pain. Although Bentley didn't blame Murray for what happened to him and after the rest of the gang protested to his decision, Murray felt that he didn't want to endanger his friends anymore and after a firm statement, collected his needed gear and left. We were shocked to see Murray leave his costume behind. His wounds were deeper then we thought and we saw that he had suffered the most. Though we tried to consol him, going out on his own was something he felt he needed to do. Before the clock struck midnight, he left us…"

"For days the gang and I sat at home, lost in our thoughts and wondering what will or had become of Murray. Inside, I felt deprived. I had just lost a friend, a best friend who had been like a brother to me and to us. Sly and Bentley felt the same thing as did Videl and Carmelita. Though they had only been with us for one full year, the two girls had grown a strong bond with each member of the gang, including Murray. We half wanted to all go out and find him, but now he could be anywhere within a thousand miles, even be in another country. One day, on the net I read in a police document that there had been an incident close to the Interpol police station and that a world known criminal had been dragged to jail without a fight. Believing that it was Murray, I set off for the prison to find out who it was as the criminal's identity had been kept a secret. Sly, Carmelita, Videl and Bentley had fallen asleep that night when I found it on the net. While I had been meditating, I figured I should go check it out, purely out of curiosity."

"When I entered the jail block at level-D, I found one cell with a single occupant, containing a prisoner that had the same build as Murray but was not. When I snuck into the cell through the ventilation system, the prisoner attacked me without a word. The assault was senseless and after easily avoiding and ducking his attacks, he stopped completely, panting and sweating. The prisoner was not a human but an anthropomorphic walrus that had purple skin in color, wore tattered jeans, combat boots as well as had his left tusk broken in half. As it had already been established, he had a build just like Murray's but was slightly weaker then the hippo. After he had dropped to his knees from exhaustion, he got to talking but instead of sharing a descent conversation started yelling uncontrollably at me in anger. So, deciding to calm him down by threatening him in a way and giving him the knowledge of who I was, I told him my name and the gang that I was apart of. Fortunately it did the trick and the prisoner was shocked more like it and remained silent. That was when things started to get interesting."

"The man told me his name which was Big Jim McSweeny and the walrus said that he had been stuck in here for quite a while and was not the one I was looking for. Because of his connection to the prison inmates, he told me that Murray had not been taken here, and had never been placed under arrest. I believed him, since I couldn't sense the hippo's ki anywhere here. It was then when McSweeny told me about his connection to Sly Cooper. I was shocked to hear that the walrus had shared a partnership and friendship bond with Sly's father many years ago, something Sly failed to tell me before hand. Maybe it was just that he never knew of McSweeny's existence so it was understandable. But after telling me this, he then told me all about the Cooper vault. He became aware that Sly Cooper was still alive and had heard of me from the news. After the Clockwerk incidents and the Fiendish five gang's defeat at our hands, he started sending carrier pigeons to try and contact our gang but failed. He wanted to get in touch with Sly to tell him all about the subject he was telling me now."

"According to his information, the ancestor's of the Cooper family hid their stolen loot and treasures inside a world class thief vault which, if his facts were correct, only a Cooper could open. The story he told me of one of Sly's father's team mate's betrayal of the gang that forced him to turn himself in in the first place was an interesting one, but also gave him the reason to let Sly Cooper and I know of this secret that I was sure no other person would have told anyone else. Back in his hay day, he said that his father had been a good friend and that he, McSweeny himself had been the so called 'Murray muscle' of the group. This fact I had to agree with as well. When he told me of the Cooper vault, he told me of the map that led to the vault, the map that he had hidden. Telling me the location of the map, I left with great thanks and appreciation. Before I did, I left him a Cooper gang calling card, one which he thanked me for. With that, I was out of there before any guard discovered my being here."

"Returning back to the hideout, I woke everybody up, much to their disgruntlement and told them about the person I had run into. Passing on the information I had to the rest of the gang, Sly and the others were shocked beyond belief. After I told them the location of the map, their enthusiasm and excitement grew and before we knew it, we were off. Easily stealing the map from the Venetian museum, the gang immediately set off for the Cooper vault. It was upon arriving to the island where the vault was did we discover that a man by the name of Doctor M had already set up shop. From the looks of it, he had been trying to crack into the vault for years, growing steadily more frustrated at his failures and more paranoid as the decades rolled on. He built himself a fortress with security as tight as Fort Knox. Breaking into the Cooper vault would take precision, ingenuity, and more over, an army of world class thieves. Bringing together that much talent won't be easy, but to get inside the Cooper vault and collect Sly's inheritance which he promised an even share for each and every one of us, we were willing to pay the price. With Sly, Videl, Carmelita and Bentley and I working together, we set off on a new and exciting quest, not knowing what the future would hold for us."

"As for me… it would prove to be the greatest challenge I would ever face!"

TO BE CONTINUED…


	23. An Opera of Fear

DRAGONBALL Z **meets _Sly Cooper_**

_An Opera of **FEAR…**_

_**Sly's thoughts…**_

"Getting inside a world class vault would take army of world class thieves, a group of specialists, with each member pitching in their own particular talent into the operation. While Bentley got started on the blue prints and the rest of the gang got to work on preparing for their next operation, I immediately saw a small flaw in our plan. It was clear that we needed Murray back. Bentley came to an immediate conclusion that there was no way we would be able to break into the Cooper vault without an extra pair of hands to haul the loot out."

"But there were also facts Bentley over looked and I expressed these truthfully. Not only were we missing a life long friend, but Murray's brute strength helped us out of more then a few scrapes in the past. Also it was hard to forget that his driving skills were more then just adept. They were far beyond an advanced level as Murray's driving skills behind the wheel of a truck, van and/or car far exceeded all of our driving skills. What good use is a band of high classed thieves without a driver and extra strength to back up your reputation? All of us missed him, and I was determined to get Murray back on the team."

"When Murray left us, he never told us where he planned to go or what he was to do. But it was clear to him that going out on his own was something he really needed to do. All he said was he wanted to find his spiritual centre and to drop out of the game for a while, long enough for him to find enlightenment and peace within himself and nature around him. Amazingly enough he found a way to achieve his goals and find inner peace. We got word that he ended up in the Australian outback where he studied a mystic art known as the dream time from an aboriginal Guru. These dream time abilities amazingly defied the laws of man and nature but only worked for the goodness of the world. Well, that's what I heard from Bentley."

"While under the teachings of this mystic, the Guru sent Murray on a walkabout to places all over the globe to complete the training. Murray visited all places, Asia, North America, South America, Africa and Europe, his quests going on unnoticed and miraculously enough… peacefully without ever having to resort to violence. This walkabout helped the student achieve enlightenment by purifying the lands far and wide, allowing one to find a reason for life, living and peace. Perhaps the walk was doing Murray some good, I don't really know. Whatever the case, we had to find him."

"Hacking in on some valuable sites while the gang scoped around for clues to where Murray may be, we eventually locked onto his position. Many sightings of Murray were said to be around the beautiful city of Venice, Italy. But what he's doing there is a mystery. I just hope he stays away from the local mob boss Octavio. An anthropomorphic lion who's high-life time began at a much younger age then his old school character today. How he became a mob boss was beyond me, but with some careful and thoroughly searched information gasped onto by Bentley, the facts on this guy were as clear as day."

"When he was a young man, Octavio was a successful singer in the neighborhood. Everyone wanted to hear him sing opera and said he was destined to be the next great tenor. However, just as his career started to kick off, musical taste change. Now everyone listened to rock music and other assortments of musicals, and no body wanted to listen to opera anymore, they said it was old school. Octavio became an outcast in society and the infuriated lion began plotting his way back to the top the only way he knew how. He held onto a few fans, and it was these mobsters that took him into the business. Working his way through the ranks, Octavio became head of all the mobsters in all of Italy. His brutality towards others who did not do what he ordered them to do became well known throughout all of Europe and the now infamous Octavio earned a place of respect and popularity among his mobster service men. For an old geezer from the 60's, he sure knew how to throw a party. Gangsters were under his command everywhere, and one wrong step would more then likely spell doom for anyone who crosses Octavio's path."

"Heading under this guy's turf was dangerous, but worth it to make things right with Murray. Loading up our equipment the gang headed for Italy. With no van for a comfortable ride, we resorted to riding in Carmelita's chopper which my girl made sure to keep us in balance. I hope the guys didn't mind. But after we touched down in Venice close to Octavio's sector where his forces were strong, we sought refuge in a rental hotel. Using the large amounts of cash we had 'saved' up, we bought it and made ourselves a Safe house. With all our computer power and equipment in check and Carmelita's chopper parked on the roof, we prepared ourselves for another daring heist. Our mission, to get Murray back onto the Team and try and stay away from Octavio as much as possible…"

* * *

_**Venice, Italy**_

_**Surrounding Octavio's Opera house…**_

This particular part of the city was under the rule of Don Octavio and his mafia gangsters. Of course, it was not too much trouble to stress how dangerous this part of the city was. The streets were under patrolled by, not the police from the nearby divisional station but by Octavio's men. The guards and patrol units were also something to admire as the Don had gone all out on the security of the entire area. There were spot light guards, regular guards, riot guards and hired mercenary soldiers. The mafia had a strong grip on Venice but, as unusual as it seemed and looked, every single guard had a white mask on making them look all the more fearsome but also to conceal their true identity's. The gang's were known for their secrecy and ability to keep things well protected, right down to the whole operation going on in this part of town. Little did Don Octavio know was that a storm was brewing on the horizon. It was this that would inevitably spell doom for him and his entire mafia armada core.

But let's look at the scales first. Octavio's forces were massive and his guards and mafia soldiers presented quite a bit of a challenge but relied more on their muscle and presence to win their fights. But, if that weren't enough, it was their overwhelming strength in numbers which of course, in order for the Cooper gang's mission to succeed, needed to be removed. However, what else needed to be undermined was the strength of the individual's as they would also present a handful for the Cooper gang. The spot light guards first off, were a bunch of muscle bound hound dogs. Light brown trousers, bright pink jackets and underclothes that were better suited for a carnival donned their muscular bodies and of course, their build almost bore a similar resemblance to that of Legendary Super Saiyan Broly's. However, because they wore golden bird masks over their faces, it was impossible to tell one guy from the other guy as they all wore the same clothes. The spot light guards, to finish of their armaments were armed with a flash light and a flintlock pistol with a upper magazine that was stuffed with miniature fireworks that acted like regular pistol rounds when fired. They were the least of the gang's problems. The riot guards however also presented a challenge to those with insufficient strength and stopping power. These guards were a breed of anthropomorphic cats wearing white cat masks with whiskers, pink jackets, yellow trousers, green T-shirts and were armed with sticks of dynamite or dart launchers. Another type of guard or regular guard was a breed of anthropomorphic pigeons who were grey and speckled. They wore golden masks as well and aside from the other guards, wore green jackets with utility belts underneath and armed with knives or batons for close quarter combat. These guys didn't have any firearms like the other guards or any explosions. But, like all guards, if their enemies were on the rooftops and weren't able to get to them, they would pitch rocks and debris at them in an effort to knock their targets down or knock them dead. Everyone was cautious when they were dealing with Octavio's men for they were ordered to kill on sight.

The darkened streets they patrolled were entire areas lined and structured with brick work, from the large, high story buildings right down to the flooded canals. The roads were paved with bricks and tiles and grey in color. Most of the buildings, especially the real tall buildings four to five stories high were painted light brown with green window frames and multi-toned red colored roofs. The same roof color went for all the buildings unless they were flat topped with access doors to the roof or added with ventilation systems or served as another level of the building. Either way, the various rooftops ranged and varied in height, depending on the ground surface, hilly, sloppy, flat or neither. A majority of the buildings making up the city of course, were owned by the crafty Don Octavio and his men. The various café's, restaurants, coffee houses, parlors, stores and shops served as command posts or were just owned for the own leisure of the guards, gangsters, patrol units and hired mercenary's. This was a sure sign of how weakly enforced the law enforcers were. Don Octavio practically owned all of Venice, as well as Italy. He was a real powerful figurehead and well known in the neighborhood. Life for the towns people was hard, if they weren't apart of Octavio's gang that is. The hotels, motels and personal owned property, though populated with tourists and civilians were sometimes owned by Octavio's forces. The city of course was also known of its various river systems and canals where gondolas and shipping of all sorts was going on. The bridges crossing these canals and rivers were also guarded by Octavio's men to allow no escape or entry of any intruders onto or out of his turf. The Opera house as well, which was a marble made building of classical image was heavily guarded with a canal circulating around it. Now it was obvious to the Cooper gang. They were headed into danger and deep within the territory of the enemy.

Speaking of which under the cover of night, the entire gang was returning from their reconnaissance missions, carefully avoiding the various guards on the prowl and sticking to the shadows where their advantage lay. The gang's safe house was currently located on the other side of this part of the town's perimeter, away from Don Octavio's opera house and the Interpol/police head quarters building. Because a canal divided this section of the town off of the rest of the area, it was safe to say that getting across the guarded bridges would be a problem. But, if these bridges had frames and poles over them then, it would prove easy for one thief in particular to get across.

Leaping from point to point across the bridge closest to the safe house, Sly Cooper made his way back. Careful not to alert the spotlight guard below, the raccoon soundlessly leapt across the bridge, using the poles and diminutive points to his advantage. With no shadow to advertise his presence and his movements as silent as the wind, he easily made it across the bridge, leaping back down to solid ground or more accurately, the concrete floor when the spot light guard's back was turned and he was slowly making his way back across to the other side of the bridge in the opposite direction. When Sly had landed on all fours, he quickly leapt back onto his own two feet, cane held firmly in his right hand and eyes staring ahead of him, shifting left and right for any other signs of danger. When his senses told him it was safe, he quickly paced himself the rest of the way back to the safe house. Because there was a canal close by to the safe house, which meant the gang had full access to the bridge and the small dock beside it; that is if any guards didn't show up and claim it as their own aside from the one patrolling the bridge the Cooper gang would soon be using.

Passing by a lamp post, Sly stopped in front of the door and steps leading up to the safe house before him. It was a two story building with a large room upstairs with an open window that gave the gang a full view of the cityscapes they were in. There was also plenty of space available from lounge rooms and dining rooms to occupy and now Sly was beginning to think purchasing this place was a great idea. It was Bentley's idea for the turtle explain how good a view it was from there and how much more room they had rather then cramped, small and not to mention run down shacks. This definitely suited their purposes as Sly felt that they would be here for a while in their search for Murray. But he often questions Bentley of why they had set up shop in this sector. Perhaps it was this place that had most access of the whole of Venice. This was something Sly could not unravel by himself. Anyway, upon stopping at the front door to the safe house, he turned round and looked left and right, awaiting the return of the rest of the gang. To his right, in the direction he just came from was the bridge several meters away beside the canal and beside the bridge's access area to the left was the dock.

Waiting for several seconds, hearing nothing but the cold night's breeze and the sounds of motors of boats running, Sly suddenly heard a thud and falling from the sky above, a body of a spot light guard fell to the ground, pistol falling out of the dog's hand and making Sly jump in shock and surprise. Bewildered at this strange phenomenon, Sly looked up into the sky above to see a figure leap down from the roof of the safe house and land in front of him in as crouched position, right hand on the ground to steady himself and a golden, gleaming sword held firmly in his left hand. As soon as he landed, the figure stood up and turned around, a smirk on his face. Sly breathed a sigh of relief as he recognized the person to be Gohan. The young Saiyan chuckled at his friend's racing vital signs and walked over to him, shoving his sword back into its sheath to accompany the other one before folding his arms over his chest and leaning against the frame of the door leading to the safe house. Sly smiled toward his friend who smirked back.

"Gohan, we use those moves for heists and for surprise attacks on enemies, not so you can startle me to death", said Sly. Gohan shrugged and grinned evilly; nodding over to the unconscious body of the guard he had knocked out and thrown off of the building. He was certain that the dog had a couple of broken limbs and a broken jaw but that was it. But it was enough to permanently put him out of action.

"Come on pal, I like to make an impression", replied Gohan. Sly smiled and was about to make another comment or sarcastic remark when he suddenly heard a loud gunshot and a thud, catching the attention of both thieves. Looking over to the bridge, they saw the body of another spotlight guard tumbling down the arched walkway of the bridge before coming to a stop in a crumpled heap, gun falling to the ground and all. He had smoke issuing out of a bleeding hole in his chest, emphasizing how dead he was. Surprised, the pair of them looked up to see who had done this and saw, walking across the bridge toward them a very familiar figure. With her right hand on her hip and a 12 gauge auto-loading shot gun flung onto her shoulder, Gohan immediately recognized the person as his mate, Videl.

"Hello boys, think you could have all the fun tonight huh!?" mused the raven haired girl, blowing on the smoking muzzle of her weapon before lowering it to her side, carelessly stepping over the two bodies. Gohan and Sly smirked when she came to stand in front of them, looking from one face to the other. After which, she walked over to Gohan and leaning up because of his height, gave him a gentle kiss on the lips, one which he returned in equal affection. Dropping back, Videl turned and looked at the two guards.

Videl's outfit had changed completely since before. No longer did she wear her symbolic white T-shirt, bicycle shorts and boots. This time, she wore a tight combat outfit used by women spies. The tight spandex like outfight blended in with the night and allowed full flexibility. It was a full body outfit from the sleeves, all the way down to the long leggings. She also wore thin, black boots that matched her outfit but she also wore the same fingerless, fighting gloves she wore before. Amazingly, her entire outfit fitted her perfectly, right down to her neatly cut, short hair and sparkling sapphire eyes. In case anyone hadn't noticed, she also wore a mask, a similar one to what Gohan wore before with straps at the back but wasn't red. It was black, just like the rest of her outfit. There was a zip line right down the front of her outfit with the top part partially undone just for show and making her look more attractive to her mate. As well as the full on tight outfit, she had a utility belts round her waste and across her top half. With a holster at her left side holding her Desert Eagle, a second holster held in the upper right side that also had a Desert Eagle and a large holster on the back for her shot gun, she was set to kill. She made a perfect assassin too.

"Nice work Videl, though you could have used a silencer, that shot would have caught a lot of attention", said Gohan. Videl, after careful observations and thinking, shook her head and looked up at Gohan, a smirk on her face.

"Oh I don't think so Gohan. Because of all the engine noises of the boats on and with the singing of some of the bored night watch guards, it would be hard to identify a gun shot to the bang of a faulty engine. Besides, there are plenty of throttle discharges from several of the motor powered gondolas around", replied the girl. Gohan, hearing this scratched his head in thought, his eyes looking up as he searched his brain for a reason why guards would have heard it. Well, thanks to Videl's given evidence and that he couldn't find any other reason, he smiled and looked back down at the raven haired girl, nodding in agreement.

"Well, that makes sense", he said. Videl grinned but her attention averted away from him and turned in the direction of a new sound. Gohan and Sly also heard it and, looking down the street to their left while Videl looked to her right because she was facing Gohan, they watched as a familiar shadow came into view. A few seconds later the person the shadow was attached to emerged and the familiar, green turtle in the wheel chair wearing the protective safety gear came up to his friends, stopping in front of them with a serious expression on his face. Since when was Bentley never serious on a heist?

"Uhh guys… what are you all doing out here", asked Bentley in question, placing a hand over the holster at his right side to check that his Colt 45 was still there. After confirming it was, he returned his hands to there arm rests where a couple of consoles were integrated along with two joy sticks and two inbuilt lap tops. From first glance, it was hard to spy the rest of the gear built into Bentley's wheelchair because the turtle's technology was so advanced, it was easy to assume that he was a weak and easy target. Little did the enemy know was that this weak individual had tons of fire power as back up to his weakened appearance.

The three of them looked at each other before looking back, shrugging. "We're waiting for the rest of you to show up", replied Gohan. Sly and Videl nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, we're not entering this safe house until all of our gang has returned", continued Sly. Videl crossed her arms, having put away her shot gun before hand so that her hands were free. She scrutinized the turtle with serious eyes just as Bentley had done for them on a number of occasions.

"Since when do we need a reason to not wait for our friends? We all look out for each other and we all wait for the other to return", said Videl firmly. Gohan and Sly nodded firmly in support. Bentley sighed and nodded, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. But because he also wore yellow, thick gloves, it was hard for him to scratch out any itches. But it was perfect for making an ashamed image whenever possible.

"Oh, I guess you guys are right. OK, we'll wait till Carmelita shows up, then we head back inside. I had problems with one of Octavio's guards, but he's now in a deep, drug induced sleep. There is a good chance we won't be seeing the light of day until next night", said Bentley, referring to the crossbow fixed into his wheelchair. Gohan and Sly raised eyebrows in interest while Videl nodded affirmatively. Of course, they were all impressed at Bentley's abilities and technology he used in his wheel chair. But before any of them could compliment on Bentley or his wheelchair, they heard a grunt and a thud beside them and turned round to see who it was.

When their eyes fell upon Carmelita who had landed on two feet beside the guards, the gang smiled when the vixen turned around and dusted herself down. Looking up, Carmelita saw the rest of the gang waiting for her and upon seeing them, smiled. Strolling over, the former cop placed her right hand on her hip before shoving her shock pistol held in her left hand into the holster. There were no differences made to her outfit as she still wore her old cop and work uniform from all those years ago. Sly was satisfied. He loved Carmelita the way she was. But even if she did change her clothes to something different he would still admire her as the girl he loved.

"Hey guys", greeted Carmelita. "What's with the standing around and stuff", asked the vixen. Sly and Gohan glanced at each other and, after exchanging shrugs, turned back to the fox and smiled at her.

"There was a unanimous agreement that every time the entire group returned from a round that we would all wait outside until everyone has returned", replied Gohan. Everyone else nodded in agreement as did Carmelita. After looking from one innocent face to the other, she too shrugged and walked the rest of the way over, coming to stand beside her Sly.

"Well, then, we're all here, so what are we waiting for, lets get inside and fill each other in on what we have acquired from our reconnaissance", said the vixen. At this, the entire gang turned round and headed inside. Opening the door, Gohan allowed his friends to flow on inside, starting with Videl, then Carmelita, who were closely followed by Sly and Bentley. When all of them had filed in and had gone up stairs into the main room, Gohan headed inside, closing and locking the door behind him. With everyone upstairs, Gohan headed up to join the rest of the gang. What he was met with was the room with everyone scattered around in it.

Bentley as per usual had sat himself down at the rounds table beside the window and was already stuck into his computer, processing the information and data he had required. Carmelita was sitting on the one couch in the corner, feet up on a stool and was busy playing around with her pistol. It was obvious she was exhausted from the thrills of the night. Sly was sitting beside Bentley, his cane at his side on the floor against the table. The raccoon was looking around the room and had focused his interests on the night sky outside. Videl, for some strange reason wasn't exhausted or tired had sat herself down on the table across from Bentley and Sly. She of course had her shot gun laid out in front of her and didn't appear to be doing anything except for just sitting.

The room the team had set themselves up in was a fine one indeed. From where Gohan stood at the entrance to the room with the stairs behind him, the young Saiyan examined their lovely suite. The floor was floor boarded and laminated over to keep it in good condition. The walls around the room were painted white as well as the roof, and the furniture around the room added to the décor. Firstly there was the large round table set up for the gang beside the windows lining the wall on the lengthened wall across the room from Gohan. Because the room was rectangular, it was easy to place things where they should be. In the two corners of the room where the window began and ended were two pots with palm trees in it for the exotic affect and paintings hung up on the walls that didn't have any windows. A Chandelier hung down from the ceiling above and was lit, offering the group the light that they needed to see. To Gohan's right against the width of the room was a double couch and next to that couch close to the corner was the single seated couch Carmelita had sat down in and was resting. A coffee table of classical design sat in front of both couches with empty cups laid down on it. Gohan also took into account of the empty pizza boxes lying around as the gang had stopped at a restaurant to buy something to munch on while they plotted their way of getting Murray back. But how they were going to find him first was going to be a challenge.

After looking around the room for several seconds, Gohan shrugged and walked over to where Bentley and Sly were, pulling up a chair beside Videl and taking a seat. Videl felt and saw Gohan sit beside her to her right and, standing up, leapt onto his lap and cuddled up close to the young Saiyan, surprising Gohan greatly. Chuckling, Gohan wrapped his arms around her while Videl laid her head against his chest and laid her hands against him, closing her eyes and letting out a sigh. Well, at least Gohan was right in the first place, Videl really was tired, she was just hiding it. Judging by her energy level, it was a little low. Anyway, to make sure that they were both comfortable, Gohan shuffled in his seat a little and, after removing the two swords and sheaths on his back set them on the table and rested back, relieving in the quiet atmosphere around them. They were in the safe house where everything was safe and nothing could go wrong.

While the gang rested, Bentley was still at work at his computer, typing away. Sly, who was caught up in admiring the stars and moon of the night's sky outside suddenly became bored and in his fit of star gazing, turned to Bentley. At the same time Sly twirled his cane in his left hand between his fingers, hand behind his head as he leaned back in his chair. The turtle was so busy looking up at the lap top screen and back down at the keys he completely ignored Sly's odd stare. Gohan and Videl were also too caught up in resting back with their eyes closed they hardly even took note of Sly. Carmelita had fallen asleep in the couch and Videl was about to but Gohan was still lingering along those lines. Because he was a half Saiyan and was used to these sorts of things, he rarely needed any sleep.

"Uhh… Bentley… do you have any ideas on the location of Murray because, the gang had just been all over this part of town and have not seen any sign of him. The only thing we saw was Octavio's guards patrolling the streets and his advertisements hung up that are about this upcoming Carnival and his part in it", said Sly, leaning forward and straddling his cheek in his hand, propping his left side of his face on his hand while leaning on his arm with his elbow on the table. Bentley, still typing away at his laptop shook his head and shrugged at the same time, his eyes never leaving the thing he was working on.

"Nope sorry Sly, I'm afraid Murray is still eluding us. Unless we get him back, I don't think we'll ever have a chance at succeeding in breaking into the Cooper vault", replied Bentley. Sly furrowed his brow in disappointment and nodded, turning his head and returning his gaze to the cityscapes outside, as well as the starry night sky.

"Not to mention we're missing a friend. I miss him Bentley", said Sly. Bentley sighed and nodded in agreement.

"We all do Sly. Murray has always been an excellent source of conversation, not to mention his enthusiasm that always makes us laugh", said Bentley, his computer screen bringing up a couple of blue prints and maps of the nearby Police HQ. If Bentley was for certain, Murray just might be there. Murray of course is still an international criminal because he was a part of the Cooper gang and his participation has made him quite a target for the officers at Interpol. If anywhere else lacks as a proper holding place for Murray, then the police station is their next target area.

"Well Sly, I believe there is one job I would like you to pull off for me. You know that Interpol police station on the other side of the canal", said Bentley, looking over at Sly. The raccoon nodded, raising a curious eyebrow. "Murray just might be there. Murray of course is still an international criminal because he was a part of our gang and his participation has made him quite a target for the officers at Interpol. If anywhere else lacks as a proper holding place for Murray, then the police station is a sure place where Murray can be held", said Bentley. Sly nodded and scratched his chin in thought.

"That is an accurate theory Bentley. I mean, they would need to keep Murray in solitary confinement if they have a chance of holding him prisoner. If I were them, I'd stay clear from layers of brick walls and doors, can't tell when Murray would eventually break through either one of them", replied Sly in suggestion. Bentley nodded and looking out the window, pointed toward a blue surfaces dome made up off hundreds of tiles. Its sparkling surface gleamed against the night sky and lit up a wide spread area of the part of town it was built in. The sky also glowed, as bright as the moon itself. And you'd expect the Opera house to be the one that stood out of the rest of the buildings. It did, but not as well.

"You see that giant dome over there", said Bentley. Sly, turning in his seat drew his binocucom from his pouch and, looking through it, focused it on the giant dome across the canal several blocks away. His eyes scrutinized the building momentarily before he eventually lowered it and put it away. Having already taken in all the major and minor details, he got a good perspective of the structure.

"Yeah, go on", said Sly. Bentley smiled and nodded toward it, lowering his arm.

"That dome there is the primary police HQ base and Interpol check in point here in Venice", said Bentley. Sly smirked, taking his hat off and brushing his knuckle across the tip of his ear. He quirked his eyebrows, obviously impressed and now very interested.

"Police around here really like to make an impression", replied Sly. Bentley shrugged indifferently.

"Well you're half right Sly. Sure the police like to address their presence here, but Octavio owns this town and is the on who runs the show in these parts. The cops and Interpol forces are fighting a losing battle. It is Octavio's guards and 'security forces' patrolling the streets, not the cops", said Bentley, explaining it to his friend and pointing out the obvious.

Sly nodded. "Noted", he replied. Just as he was looking outside toward the giant dome atop of the classic stone structure of the police station, he also took note of the spire and vents built in and around it. The raccoon scratched his chin in thought and a smirk crossed his lips. His eyes glinted with mischief. "Hmm, looks like I found my way inside. Those vents at the top of that dome are a perfect means of gaining entry to the cop station and that spire marks a perfectly good way point", he continued. Bentley, spotting the spire at the roof of the Venetian police HQ nodded his head once at the entrance idea Sly had in mind. He had to admit, it was pretty straight forward, but there was just one problem.

"Good idea Sly, but haven't you checked the layout of that building properly, that dome structure is made up of glazed tiles. There is no way to get up there", replied the turtle. Sly grinned and shrugged, pointing out something he thought would make an ideal means of ascent. He was amused that Bentley hadn't spotted it before.

"Oh come on pal, there's always a way", said Sly. Bentley, curious as to what Sly meant looked in the direction he was pointing and gesturing towards. He was surprised to see that there was a thick rope leading from the tip of the spire of the dome down to a building built beside the channel dividing the part of town the gang was currently situated on and the police station from each other. But what made it more complicated was that the rope was tied to a flag pole on the building it was attached to and because it was built right next to the canal, it would be hard to get to it. Sly may have been an adept swimmer but not a professional. He could not reach it without getting hit by any of the gondolas and tourist boats sailing through that canal. However, there were a lot of ports lined up along the building walls of the canal from the left to the right, these ports accompanied by buoys and shipping, a perfect pathway for Sly to use to get to the rope. From there, it was just a simple means of ascent.

Smiling in anticipation, Bentley turned to Sly to see the raccoon stand to his feet, slip on his hat again and collect his cane from the table. Spinning it in his hand quickly, the raccoon firmly gripped it before making a quick dash across the room and down the stairs. He shouted "see you in half an hour", before vanishing. Bentley didn't need to say a word and immediately went back to work on his computer. Unbeknown to him, Gohan's right eye had peeked open just when the commotion started up again and his black orb had traced Sly's movements before the raccoon had left the building. Shrugging, the young Saiyan closed his eyes again and rested back with Videl in his arms. When it came to cops, Sly could handle them easily.

* * *

_**Outside the safe house**_

Taking to the streets once more, Sly immediately made a run for the port beside the bridge that he and Videl had crossed before hand. Reaching it, at the same time avoiding the bodies of the guard lying around and the numerous signs posted up for advertisement, Sly began his approach on the cop station. First running across the wooden port, the raccoon made a major jump over the water and onto the gondola parked not too far from the port, landing on it with grace and ease. The wooden boat only trembled and waved once upon Sly's landing but was soon left to wobble back into a steady position when the raccoon immediately leapt off of it. Spinning through the air and using his spire jump technique, Sly landed on one of the various poles sticking out of the water. The raccoon gracefully landed on its tip and, once he was comfortable, made another spire jump attempt for the next pole across. Slowly, the raccoon made his way down the canal, watching a couple of boats sail by unmanned. He was thankful it was night and nobody could see him.

Having worked his way three buildings down already, Sly leapt through the door and, after performing a couple of flips landed on another wooden port with a gate closed in on the exit. Seeking no alternative path, Sly progressed slowly again and leapt onto the gondola beside the part. This one was different from the other gondolas as it had red coverings over it that gave the owner of the gondola small shelter when he was steering his craft through rain. It was nice weather today anyway, and Sly had little to fear of any rain. The worst storm system he had ever been through was the Sir Raleigh incident which he thought he handled pretty well. Anyway, after carefully landing on the gondola, he only had to bounce on the thick, cloth lined surface to increase the trajectory of his next jump and, after doing so, sent himself flying toward the flag pole he had been aiming for in the beginning. Following through with what he had done many times before he performed his ancestor Tennessee Kid Cooper's rail walk technique, landing gracefully on the thick rope. The rope supported his weight easily as it hardly moved.

With slipping up or missing a beat, Sly ran up the rope, arms held out for balance with his cane held firmly in his left hand. He leaned himself forward so to keep on the straight line. Within seconds, he had worked his way up to the top of the dome. He was certain that if he landed on top of the structure his weight would be like a feather to the tile like surface and that he wouldn't alert any of the cops' attentions. The last thing he wanted was the whole of the Venetian ground forces to know that he was in town. But if the situation called for it, he would have to make his appearance sooner or later.

After reaching the tip of the spire, Sly leapt off of the rope and landed softly and firmly on the tile surface. His landing was soundless and as soon as he had landed, the ear piece in his right ear crackled into life. **_"Nice climbing pal, you sure know how to show those acrobats out there how to do it. Now, I've got the blue prints to the cop station here. I'll guide you down to the jail cell no problem, just update me on your progress",_** said Bentley. Nodding, Sly got down onto his hands and knees and, sliding along the tiles, crawled into the open air vents no sweat. As a professional master thief, he could fit into enclosed spaces easily.

Within moments, his form had disappeared into the vents and from then on in, all he could see was black. That was of course only for a short period of time when his eyes became accustomed to the dark.

* * *

_**Inside the Venetian Police station**_

_**Jail Cell room…**_

Having clambered down carious of vents and tight spaces, Sly had finally made it out as he slowly crawled out of the tight space of the air vent built at floor level. For the skinny yet perfectly muscles raccoon, he was able to fit through the tight space easily. It was something the rest of his team admired him for. Gohan couldn't fit into a vent because he was too big, besides he didn't need to. All he had to do was bust down a wall to get to the room across from him unless there were no doors. Murray could do the same.

Speaking of which, the room Sly had crawled into was the jail cell room where, just outside the actual entrance to this part of the building was the squad briefing room and main work station for the officers in this place. The floor in this room was floor boarded and not tiled and the walls were painted a basic white with the plaster chipped and cracking. A desk sat beside what Sly took to be the main holding cell of the room, a large steel framed box with the bars that symbolized the jail cell that was used to hold the 'just caught' criminals before they were transferred to an actual prison. There were only two potted plants in the room and a notice board with a few Wanted posters hung up. Sly wasn't surprised to see his and Gohan's face on the board, as well as Murray's, Bentley's, Videl's and Carmelita's. Being the most wanted gang in the world tended to make you a truly popular target for officers of both Interpol and the mercenary rings of the law organizations.

The room was dark with the only light coming from a office lamp on the desk against the wall beside the jail cell and Sly, hoping for the best walked over to the Cell. Examining the lock, he noticed that there was a regular key-lock and a combination lock needing to open or access this cell. It wasn't too complicated on Sly's part as the raccoon saw that it wasn't linked to any security nodes or anything that might set off an alarm. But that didn't really matter now. All Sly wanted to know was whether Murray was in this jail cell. Because it was dark on the far end of the cell where the wall was, Sly couldn't tell who was who. However, one thing was for certain, there was somebody in here. Sly just hoped it was his friend.

"Psst… hey, Murray… is that you?" whispered Sly, focusing more intently on the figure standing in the dark. He half expected it to be Murray, but what he got in return certainly didn't sound like him. There was an agitated hiss followed by a rough sigh. There was also something Sly smelt in the air and he was sure Murray didn't smoke.

"Murray… that name is a stain on my pants bro… WHUH!?" the figured hissed angrily but in the end, there came a startled exclamation. Turning around, the figure waltzed out of the shadows. When the figure stepped into the light generated by the lamp, Sly was shocked… well… more surprised to see who it actually was being held up in that cell. Out of everyone he could have met, why did he have to be here?

"Cooper… you've got some fuzzy dice to come round here", hissed the person Sly identified as… Dimitri! The popular culture lounge lizard Sly had encountered before back in Paris was here, in a Venetian police station in jail! What a ironic coincidence that the purple iguana ended up in here. Of course, nothing really much had changed about him. The lizard still wore maroon turtle neck shirt, green, grease colored slacks and jacket, wore tons of jewelry on his fingers and necklaces round his neck and wore brown dance shoes. The once powerful criminal figure head from a year ago when the lizard was apart of the Klaww gang, hadn't changed.

"Dimitri…long time no punch, I see you're still in prison", replied Sly smugly, a smirk on his face while the raccoon crossed his arms.

Dimitri scowled at the raccoon on the other side of the bars. The lizard's hair style hadn't changed, he still had a purple goatee, lizard like beard and crummy hair, but he looked OK. To himself that is. "And you still a Crack-a-box!"

Sly shrugged indifferently. "Let's cut to the name calling and get to business." Dimitri smirked and, puffing his cigar in his mouth, crossed his arms and made some peculiar mocking gestures with his eyes, head and expression.

"Looking for main man Murray aye? Sorry, but I'd rather see you get busted big time! GUARDS!! POLIZIA", screamed the lizard, desperately trying to get the attentions of the police. Sly, realizing the situation dropped his cool guard and held a hand up to stop Dimitri. His eyes looked left and right; worried that Dimitri might actually get the police in here. With very little escape time, Sly couldn't let himself get caught, not now.

"Wait", Sly hissed. Dimitri stopped screaming for a moment and glanced over at Sly, a smug smile on his face and his arms crossed again.

"_I have to find a way to calm him down… I don't want the cops to get a hold of me. I could try threatening him or perhaps try another means of keeping him quiet",_ thought Sly, scratching his chin, the raccoon looked back up at Dimitri and smirked confidently. What he said next, he found that he meant it. All of it was true anyway.

"If I get caught by those cops I'll get thrown in there with you, and it would be a heck of a cage match. And we both know who will win, or did you forget Paris?" asked Sly with a grin, his eyes flashing deviously. Dimitri sighed in frustration and aggravation. Memories of the pain inflicted upon him by the thief were still fresh in his mind.

"Ugghh… worth it to see that smug smile of yours behind the bars", muttered the lizard. Sly, figuring Dimitri would make another call for the guards rubbed his chin in thought again before coming up with another idea. Glancing to his left out the entrance of the cell room toward the officers work station, he saw no body coming there way or listening in. So, seeing that it was safe, Sly got his idea out. He thought it might help not only him but in the gang's efforts of getting hold of Murray.

"If those cops get their mitts on me, who's going to break you out of jail", asked Sly, shrugging in question. He often wondered about that too as no one in the right of mind would try and break this guy out. Dimitri, who was seeing the new light of the situation and opportunities at hand, thought about it and shrugged. It could work, on his part as well.

"You might get this cell door open, but the cops would throw down and bust me on the way out! Then I get the double sentence!! GRIEF", exclaimed Dimitri, a little worried at what would happen if Sly eventually got him out. The raccoon, having no where else to run in time to get away from the cops if the crafty iguana called them over would present a good moment to witness the raccoon get busted. But what Dimitri wanted more was out, and he could not arguer with a proposition like this. But there was the problem of running, which was very hard in this place.

Sly smirked and nodded toward the door on the far end of the station where the exit to the place was. "How about I swipe us a couple of uniforms and once we're both dressed up, we can slip out the front door", suggested the raccoon. Dimitri made a disgusted look and held a hand to his chest while making a very pompous pose.

"Are you kidding man, I'm a fashion all-star. No way, no how, am I dressing up in no polyester pig suit. There are worst things then jail", blattered Dimitri, spitting on the ground beside him. Sly sighed in frustration at Dimitri's refusal to this plan. But then there was another means of escape for both him and Dimitri.

"How about I get the cops' attentions and then run for it. Once they're all outside shooting at me, you can slip out no problem", said Sly. Dimitri, thinking about the possibilities smirked and clapped his hands together.

"Now that's a plan I can get behind! Dimitri is free, and Cooper is cooked! The key to cell door is in head cop lady's office. Just keep on the down low and out of sight around them coppers bro, they're a bad bunch of bunnies", said Dimitri in a warning filled voice. Sly smirked and shook his head, crossing his arms. He glanced down at the locks, his eyes looking them over thoroughly. Dimitri was puzzled.

"No need for me to go sneaking about the place. I've cracked harder locks then this. I can open these things easily", said Sly. Dimitri, hearing this nodded and gave Sly the thumbs up.

"Get me out of here, and I'll find Murray, no sweat", said Dimitri. Sly nodded, agreeing to the deal and quickly got to work. Using the hook end of his cane, Sly jammed it into the key-lock and with a sharp turn and pull on the solid iron bar, cut it loose, the lock falling to the ground with a not so loud clatter. Once the key lock was removed from play, Sly knelt beside the combination lock and, blowing on it, got to work. Gripping the knob he started turning it slowly, his ears opening up for the sure signs of clicking and trembling.

Dimitri crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow at the raccoon. "Are you sure you can crack this coconut", asked the lizard curiously. Sly smirked, hearing the first click.

"Sure, just takes a light touch", he whispered. Being an expert thief, Sly could open locks with combinations unless they weren't number encoded. His father in years before had taught him a few techniques, but after the adventures he went on with all of his friends, he had learned a lot more. He was sure his father would be proud of him.

"Anyway, listening closely and feeling the vibrations between his fingers, Sly first turned the knob slowly in a clockwise direction, then a counter clockwise motion before feeling the vibrations and finally in another clockwise direction. The raccoon smiled triumphantly before pulling the lock free and slowly opening the door outwards. Within seconds, Dimitri was free and the lizard strolled out of his dark cell. The lizard crossed his arms and glanced down at the raccoon.

Sly smirked as he looked up at the taller opponent. "I'll distract the cops so you can make your escape", said Sly. Dimitri grinned and gave him tow thumbs up.

"Solid work… don't worry no-mind, straight way I'll pass word for Murray to find you. Meet at Rialto Bridge, big Italian land mark!" exclaimed the lizard. Sly nodded in agreement and after unfolding their arms, got to work.

"Alright, guess its show time!"

In a flash, Sly dashed out of the jail cell room and into the far bigger room acting as the squad room where at this very moment, a squad of at least 20 mercenary apes were being briefed on the current situation here in Venice. There leader, Lt. Gronk was showing them a slide show of Don Octavio and his forces and was currently moving onto something about a Carnival and problems with tar refinery's. However, just as Lt. Gronk was reviewing the last of the slides, Sly stopped by the entrance and turned round to face the stage where Lt. Gronk was and the various seats and desks the mercenary apes were occupying. The raccoon grinned and cupped his left hand to his mouth to amplify his voice and…

"HELLO ASSORTED MEAT-HEADS! Anyone feel like some exercise", yelled the raccoon, amused at this. Dimitri watched and waited from the jail cell room on Sly's progress and was a little worried. The mercenary apes and Lt. Gronk were so surprised that it took them a while to react to Sly's presence.

"YOU! S-Sly Cooper! Grab him men", yelled the lieutenant. Like all his soldiers, they wore SWAT uniforms, had pink skin, wore red night vision goggles and were armed with M16 assault rifles and Desert Eagles. They bore a fearsome appearance and, though they may be mercenaries, they fought bravely with honor and distinction. They also obeyed the orders given to them by their superiors. By the way, as soon as Lt. Gronk gave the order to cease Sly, all the mercenary's were on their feet and scrambling about to get out of the isles. But because they had to be about Murray's size, it took a while for even half of them to come running after the raccoon.

Sly, seeing them all on the move, saluted to them. "And… I'm outta here", he concluded, grinning at them before turning on his heel and dashing out the open doors, pushing his way through back into the open night air of Venice. The ape guards gave chase and as soon as all of them were out of the building, Dimitri slipped out where he planned to make contact with Murray. As a man befitting his characteristics, he always kept his promises.

* * *

_**Outside the cop station**_

As soon as Sly had exited the building, he immediately hard sprinted left, headed for the port beside the cop station where a large river system ran through the city. The raccoon, who was far faster then the apes made sure to get their attention as soon as he was on the port. However, deciding it for the best, as soon as Sly reached the end of the port, the raccoon made a major leap and landed on a bus boat beside the port. This boat was packed with rows of seats and had a helm at the back of it. It looked quite comfortable, but the lack of cover left him a little too exposed out in the open. When he started up the boat and began heading down stream, the mercenary apes reached the port Sly had been on and started firing at him. M16 rounds being fired filled the air with the sounds of gunfire and Sly was forced to use his thief reflexes and agility to avoid them while moving around on the large craft.

Figuring that they weren't able to hit Sly from that range, the mercenary apes changed tactics. While a group of 12 of them remained on shore and started moving down the canal along the banks, still keeping Sly under constant fire, a detachment of eight apes flew over to the boat Sly was slowly sailing away in with orders from Lieutenant Gronk to dispatch him. How they got to Sly was easy. By simply using the rockets packs on their backs, the mercenary apes were able to use them to propel themselves toward their target and soon enough, eight of the twenty mercenary soldiers were on the boat, all of them pointing guns at the stealth raccoon. Sly however wasn't at all intimidated.

Keeping his cool in as the eight mercenary's approached him from the front of the boat where they landed, Sly smirked at them. Beyond the mercenary's shoulders, Sly could make out a large bridge approaching on the horizon down the river. It was obvious it was Rialto Bridge as its appearance, size and structure clearly represented a landmark and it was also built differently from the rest of the bridges built around Venice. Sly knew he was getting close, and if Dimitri was true to his word, he would be speaking with Murray in no time. But first thing was first, he had to get rid of these mercenary apes.

As soon as they saw they had their target cornered, the mercenaries approached, guns raised and pointed at the young thief. Sly held his ground and, twirling his cane in his left hand, dropped into a fighting stance. The apes that were running along the banks of the river had stopped firing for a couple good reasons. One, their target was out of range, two, a building had gotten in the way along the channel and they were forced to take to the roads and find another way around to get to them. No sense shooting at an opponent they couldn't reach or see. Anyway, now that their cover fire was gone, the mercenaries on the boat now had to face the wrath of Sly without any additional back up. But because Sly, being a close combat fighter had no fire arm or weapons besides his cane he can use to fend himself, the mercenaries were confident they could take him down no sweat. How wrong they were to underestimate the thief.

Just as they were surrounding Sly, the devious raccoon made his move. Sprinting forward, the young thief slipped underneath the soldier's legs in front of him. Because of the guy's size, it was easy for Sly to fit through and as soon as Sly stood up behind the guy, Sly hooked the ape's leg with his cane and pulled, toppling the guy forward. The mercenary fell over with a yell and a loud 'oof' at the end when he fell flat on the hard surface, his M16 assault rifle falling out of his grip. The guy was easily knocked out, and by time the other mercenaries had time to react, Sly was upon them. Leaping forward through the air to his right, Sly gripped his cane in two hands and as soon as he started dropping, raised the hook of his cane above his head and sent it down onto the head of his next target. The guy had no time to react when he got clobbered, his helmet tightening against his head as well as cracking. His goggles were dislodged and out of surprise to the attack, the mercenary fired a short burst of bullets that went everywhere. When Sly landed, amidst the gun fire, the second guy was out and unconscious on the floor, joining his friend in darkness. By this time, the rest of the apes were reacting to the surprise attack and out of pure instinct, aimed their guns at their target and opened fire.

Sly, who was crouched and outnumbered by six more mercenaries leapt into the air and back flipped, avoiding the shots at the same time. One of the mercenaries, who was closest to the edge of the boat was just aiming his rifle on his target when Sly evaded their first barrage and was about to open fire again when he was suddenly lifted into the air and thrown into the water. He let out a yell before sinking to the bottom. This distracted both the apes and Sly and they all turned to the port side of the boat. There, they saw, not one of their mercenary apes standing there but Gohan. The young Saiyan smirked back at the apes while Sly, after recovering from his surprise grinned. The young Saiyan crossed his arms and shook his head in disappointment at the competition before him and glanced over at Sly, his orb eyes shining behind his mask.

"And I thought that you were just out for a stroll Sly. Instead I find you fighting mercenary's without me. Oh well, now that I'm here do you mind if I cut in", asked Gohan, in one swift motion drawing the two swords from his back and dropping into a fighting stance. He spun the two weapons in his hands before gripping them firmly, the blades glowing under the moon light. Sly smirked and, turning back to his opponents, dashed at them. Gohan also did so and without warning, through his two swords in to the air and leapt after them, jumping cleanly over the heads of the two mercenaries he was aiming for. The two closest to Gohan pointed their guns at where he once stood but after seeing him jump, following him with their sights.

Sly on the other hand aimed for the three on the starboard side of the boat. Because he had moved to the front when he tripped one of the mercenaries and had clobbered another on the head, he had backed off towards the front when the remaining of them started approaching him. The three he was aiming for were met, with a swirl of hook blade strikes made by the young thief and having their weapons knocked out of their hands, were swiftly knocked overboard, their screams drowned out by simultaneous splashes. With that, Sly spun his cane in his hand and did a finishing pose, smiling at how easy it was.

Gohan on the other hand had had the easiest victory ever. Having chucked his two swords over the heads of the two mercenaries that had faced him down and had leapt after his weapons, he caught them in mid flight and after performing a flip, landed behind the two mercenaries and, with his back turned to them, blindly spun his swords in his hands and slashed behind him. By doing this, he cut their belts off, their pants dropping to the floor. He chuckled when the apes let out surprised yelps at their pants falling and was bending over to pull them back up when Gohan suddenly knocked both of them in the back's with his butt ends of his swords, sending them flying across the boat and over the railings of port side. Two splashes were heard as the two of them went swimming.

Performing a finishing pose of his own, Gohan spun the two swords in his hands, and shoved them back into his sheaths on his back before folding his arms over his chest. The young Saiyan smiled and glanced over at Sly. "And they're down for the count", he concluded. Sly, seeing Gohan's finishing pose smiled in return and nodded, placing his left hand on his hip, his cane in his left hand and flung onto his shoulder.

"Great finish", replied the raccoon. Gohan nodded toward him, also impressed.

"You too. But anyway, I sensed something amiss in the air and I figured I should come and investigate, after I saw you exit police HQ with those apes chasing you, I decided to step in. I knew you couldn't dodge bullets very well so I assumed you would need my help", said Gohan. Sly nodded with a shrug.

"Guess so. But hey, Rialto Bridge is coming up so I guess we'll need to jump ship. Murray should be waiting for us there", said Sly. Gohan nodded with his arms crossed.

"So I heard. You and Dimitri made a deal and, judging by Dimitri's business dealing traits and abilities, he would never let a deal go sour so he's more then likely to do as he promised. I over heard your talk with Dimitri over the ear piece and I was a little concerned about that moment when Dimitri threatened to call the guards, even though he attempted to", said Gohan. Sly grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head the same way Gohan did. Gohan raised an eyebrow at this. He knew Sly had picked up a few things from, him over the years but this… this was too much.

"Yeah, well… more about that later, come on, we've got to jump", said Sly. Thumbing in the direction Gohan's back was turned, Sly dashed over the desk and with on big leap, jumped off of the tourist craft, followed shortly by Gohan. if that were anymore of a coincidence, the two of them landed by a manhole close to the bridge itself. Slowly, the pair of them watched as the tourist craft floated away and under Rialto Bridge itself.

Seeing the canal and the boat drift in that particular direction, the two suddenly felt something shudder behind them, at the same time they heard shots fired and wheeled around in the direction of Rialto bridge to see the mercenary apes coming at the from the other side of the bridge. There were about six of them, all of them continuously firing heavy rounds in their direction. If that weren't enough, coming down the road in the direction of the police station Sly had just came from were six more of them. Apparently, the group must have split up in order to intercept the two thieves, but how was a mystery. The other question on their mind however was what was making the manhole shudder all of a sudden. Well, that answer came in all good time when it suddenly burst open and jumping out of the man hole was… Murray!

The hippo, who had made his sudden appearance, looked a lot… different, looked a lot more spiritual if you asked Sly or Gohan. He still wore his blue shirt and still had a strong build, but he wore something different to that. Instead of glasses, Murray had white face paint over his eyes with dots circulating as adoptive add-ins for his glasses. He had white paint patterns all over his arms and legs and stomach, plus he also wore a crocodile tooth necklace. A leaf crown donned his head, and to finish his new look, wore a yellow material lined cape. From what Sly and Gohan could tell, he looked like a whole new man and was even looking more physically in good health then ever.

"Greetings old…" he began to say but was cut short by a trail of bullets impacting against the sidewalk they were standing on, drawing Murray's attention to the vast amounts of guards approaching them from all sides. "The cops!! Man you guys are in it again", Murray continued with a smile. Sly and Gohan nodded, barely avoiding another shot taken at them. Figuring this wasn't a good time, the pair of them made for the manhole Murray had just sprung up from. Sly went first.

"Hope that manhole works both ways", shouted the raccoon. Murray, seeing his friend escape followed, after which Gohan leapt in after them, shutting the manhole lid behind them. And that was that. As soon as they had entered the sewers, the mercenary's gave up as the sewers ran for thousands of miles and there were so many places they could possibly pop up. The chase was over and the damage was done.

* * *

_**Somewhere close to the safe house…**_

After there short trip through the sewers, the three escapees reappeared on the surface, this time close by to the safe house away from the fighting. It had been a hard ride getting here and a short yet agonizing chase, but they eventually made it. The man hole just down the street from the Cooper gang safe house opened up with Murray popping up first followed by Sly then Gohan, the three of them spreading themselves out and taking in deep breaths of fresh air. What a relief, finally they were relived from that stink hole. At least they weren't trapped in there. They just needed an alternative route. Murray came in the nick of time.

Turning to their friend, Sly and Gohan smiled and nodded in thanks while Murray bowed in return. "Thanks for the quick escape, we owe you one pal", said Sly. Gohan nodded in agreement while Murray smiled.

"Of course searcher, we're all in need of peace", replied the hippo. Gohan raised an eyebrow at him in quiet amusement but inwardly respected this new Murray. For him to speak like that it had to be important, seeing as that 'the Murray' was the only personality he used. It was incredible to see Murray in this light.

"You're really whole hogged on this dream time stuff huh?" said Gohan, pointing out Murray's strange and new ways. Murray nodded in agreement and decided to explain a few things, making gestures to express it in a way of peacefulness rather then in his true enthusiastic way.

"My mind is clear, like a woodland after a forest fire", said Murray, over simplifying it a bit more then he usually would. Sly and Gohan glanced at each other, giving the other an odd look before glancing back at there old friend. They had to admit, he was funny in a weird sort of way sometimes but it was understandable. Murray's obsessions usually over took his serious ways. But when Murray really wants to be serious he can be, such as now.

"Look Murray, we need you back on the team. Everyone misses you. That thing with Bentley, it wasn't your fault. He doesn't blame you for that wheelchair thing", said Sly. Murray sighed and shook his head.

"Sorry Sly, Gohan… but I walk a different path. My Guru, in his wisdom, told me to lose myself and not return until the black water ran pure", replied Murray, briefly pointing out some sort of black liquid pouring into the canal behind him from a drain pipe linked to a building. Sly and Gohan also took note of it and were very puzzled by this. They looked back at Murray, seeing what he meant. The hippo nodded firmly, his look turning serious. "So here, I stay!"

Gohan chuckled. "Are you sure he didn't tell you to get lost and not come back until you've cleaned out the water filter", asked the young Saiyan jokingly. Murray, though he wasn't hurt by this was a little amused and a little frustrated.

"Come on guys I'm on a real spirit quest here!" he shouted, rather loudly. Sly and Gohan had to hold back their laughter and after a few breaths of air, calmed down, just like Murray.

"Sorry, sorry Murray", said Gohan finally, placing his hands on his hips and smiling up at his old friend. Sly did the same but relaxed a little more, his hands dropping to his sides with his cane still held firmly in his grasp.

"Tell us everything, what happened and where'd you go. We missed you pal", said Sly. Murray smiled and looked up at the skies above, the stars sparkling and the moon shining brightly. It relieved him and gave him a good sense of enlightenment.

"Well guys… it's a long and awesome story… you got any gum…?"

TO BE CONTINUED…


	24. OP: Tar be Gone

DRAGONBALL Z **meets **_**Sly Cooper**_

_OP: __Tar be Gone!!_

_**Gohan's thoughts**_

"OK, the meeting with Murray was just how I imagined it however Sly and I encountered a problem. Murray has politely refused to rejoin our gang, saying that his Guru would not allow it until he has finished his Dream Time training. However, it was thanks to Dimitri's help that we were able to get in touch with Murray again. But the fact still remains that Murray is out there, saying that his training will only be accomplished when 'the black water ran pure'. A small clue and puzzle Bentley had to decipher for us but when we met up with Murray, we got the natural idea of what he meant."

"Strangely enough, over the past few months the rivers and canals surrounding Venice have been darkening thanks to some sort of tar pollution. By hacking into the police mainframe, Bentley discovered that Octavio was somehow linked up to the mess. It took some doing, but we eventually found out he actually was. Sly, having scouted the area overheard some of Octavio's men, saying that the Don was on the move. But where was the question. Sly took the liberty of following him and eventually got some photographic evidence of Octavio's wrong doings. Cranking secret pumps hidden behind panels, statues and everywhere around the neighborhood, it was discovered that Octavio was the master mind behind these strange darkening in the water. It would be impossible to get a descent glass of water around here when Octavio starts flooding the water pipe lines with that dark greasy shit."

"I had a half mind of going out to take him down, but the police needed the evidence that Octavio was behind him and Bentley proposed we dispatched him the old fashion way where the Don wouldn't be committing anymore crimes. It would be a long operation, but I reluctantly agreed to it. At the same time, Bentley informed us that it would be the best way of getting Murray back on the team. By ridding the canals of the tar as well as stopping Octavio's operation, there is a big chance we can convince Murray back on the team. Provided the operation doesn't go astray and hit any dead blocks like those events back in Canada. A night long of information gathering and reconnaissance sweeps was in order, and by the time we gathered the required information for Bentley, we all hit the sack, exhausted. With the photographic help and information given to him by our team, Bentley devised the perfect plan that would require all of our talents for it to be successful. We would each need to contribute these talents in simultaneous fashion."

"A one day's stand operation was in order and more importantly, was perfect for a gang of our caliber. First things first, we needed to subtract a number of Octavio's security forces from the equation. Videl, being the tough as nails fighter she was, was perfect for this task. Octavio had numerous gangs under his command, all of which are as ruthless as they come. But one gang in particular would present a lot of trouble for us in the future and would need to be removed from the stage in order for the operation to succeed. The Vincinette gang was the group needed to be taken down and Videl was the perfect candidate. With her participation, she would bring down the entire force aerial force, leaving a clear path for Carmelita. This was where she came in."

"Two blimps and a giant Octavio sign were to be set up around the town as advertisements. Having recently discovered that Octavio based his entire scheme around the traditional Carnivale where he planned to make the good people of Venice love opera again, we needed to eliminate these advertisements. These were used to lure patrons to the stage in the middle of the town where Octavio planned to perform of full scale opera and if the people do show up, then he would detonate the buildings below ground level where tar has been pumped into the foundations. This move was to force people into loving opera again and Octavio was planning on doing this by force. Unless people don't show up at his opera recital, then he would have no reason to perform his demolition demonstration. And the only way to not alert the people of this upcoming recital was by taking down the advertisements. Because these advertisements were hard to take down, given their airborne set ups, Carmelita would need to fly her M-1001 Hornet into battle and take it out, provided Videl takes out the Vincinette airborne gang out first. No advertisement means no audience, and no audience means no demolition missions and Octavio would be ruined."

"While all of this is going on, Sly, Bentley and I would sneak into Octavio's opera house and sabotage the pump rooms in the basement. These pumps were used to filter the tar out through the various pipelines, as well as pump the devastating liquids underneath buildings, enabling an explosive chain reaction to occur when Octavio set off the demolition charges. This would be enhanced by the presence of tar which would so need to go. With the pumps out of commission, no more tar would be pumped into the canals and rivers and with the water purified; Murray would sure come back to the team. Of course, we just might be able to enhance our offers…"

* * *

_**Outside Octavio's Opera House**_

_**Operation day**_

Atop the vast rooftops of this sector of Venice, on the day of Carnivale where the sun was rising, forming an orange glow and the pigeons were cooing, the Cooper gang moved into their assigned positions. Gohan, Sly and Bentley had set up posts on the perimeter rooftops surrounding the centre of the town where an enormous stage was set for Don Octavio's opera recital and plenty of chairs and tables had been set up in preparation for the day where the people would eventually take their seats. On this day, it was to be bustling with commotion and as per tradition, no advertisements were to be set up until later in the day where the opportunities were to be grand and there were to be a lot of surprises in store for the good people. Don Octavio made sure that everything was prepared, right down to the opera.

Carmelita was watching Bentley, Sly and Gohan take their spots on the roofs through her binocucom as she sat in her helicopter on top of the safe house, waiting for their signal to go. At the same time, Videl had taken up positions atop of Rialto Bridge where Bentley said Octavio's Vincinette gang would be patrolling to make sure that all shipping had been cut off right when the time struck 7:00. If all goes well, this operation would be completed within the hour and Murray would be back on the force. They were sure he was somewhere meditating, waiting for the waters to run pure again, but as they say, time is of the essence.

Gohan and Sly, who remained crouched on the roof tops were looking over the stage and centre of the town with their binocucom's. Behind the stage, across the small canal was Octavio's opera house and base of operations. That was where they needed to go. However, they would need to go in round the back and through the cellar. So not to get caught by any of Octavio's goons and warn the Don in the process where panic would soon erupt, the gang laid low until the right moment. As soon as Videl made her move, Carmelita would follow. The signs of explosions on the horizon close to the cop station would be Sly, Gohan and Bentley's signal to move. After all, they had to pass the signal on to Videl first as it was Bentley who led and created this operation. It was pure genius, or so he says.

While Sly and Gohan were waiting, Sly smirked and glanced over at Bentley with his ever mischievous eyes glinting in the light of the sun rising over the horizon. "Hey Bentley, if we take out the advertisements, then nobody would show up for Octavio's performance, right", said Sly. Bentley nodded.

"Of course, what… do you have something else in mind", asked the turtle. Sly shrugged.

"Not really, I was just thinking of how amusing it would look if the only people who showed up was the cops from the Venetian police department not to far from here", he replied. Gohan, thinking about this chuckled and glanced over at his friend.

"Now that would be funny", said Gohan. Bentley nodded, glancing down at his watch.

"Yes it is… but there is no time to talk, the Vincinette goons will be showing up in about a couple of seconds", said Bentley. Quickly, the turtle pressed his finger to his ear and contacted Videl. "Hey Videl, look sharp, the Vincinette goons should be coming round over the bridge any time. Remember, take all of them down. There should be a full force of 10 Vincinette goons", shouted Bentley. Videl heard this over her ear piece and nodded.

"_**I'm locked and loaded Bentley, you just worry about your part and I'll play mine. Just make sure Carmelita is ready to take down those advertisement blimps", **_replied the raven haired girl urgently. Bentley nodded his reply.

"Well do Videl… hey Carmelita", Bentley continued, changing frequency and com lines, "Is your chopper ready to go", asked the turtle. Carmelita smirked when she heard Bentley and responded in kind.

"_**The old girl is ready to go Bentley, see you in at the performance", **_the vixen replied. Bentley heard her loud and clear. When both recipients were cut off, Bentley lowered his arm and turned to his friends crouched behind him on the roof, looking up at Bentley and waiting for the signal to go. Bentley, seeing them all fired up and ready to move out nodded toward them.

"OK guys, as soon as the fireworks start up, we move in!"

* * *

_**Rialto Bridge…**_

Beyond the centre of the town, approaching Don Octavio's Opera house from down town was the Vincinette gang. Of course, these weren't any ordinary troops; they were an airborne force of ten well trained, hired goons. Octavio hired them especially for the task of watching the streets from above and keeping the skies clear of any enemy craft threatening his opera recital comeback performance. Just like everyone else, they were pawns in a big chess game. But unlike the ground security forces and the guards patrolling the streets, these Vincinette soldiers specialized in heavy duty action and can only be shot down by firearms. If a chopper were to confront them, they'd be too small and too fast to be taken down.

Videl, who had the special job of taking them out, was waiting on the roof behind the central spire and flag pole, her shot gun laid out in front of her. Videl's eyes peered round the tall and thickly built spire providing her the cover she needed as she waited for the Vincinette gang to arrive and float right into her firing range. She could hear the sounds of heavy, poly-cell powered motors running and the swishes of chopper blades. That was the first sign of the approaching Vincinette gang. The second was the emergence of the ten goons from round the corner on the far side of the canal. They traveled in pairs, side by side in columns of five. They moved swiftly through the air in personalized choppers built for one man use.

The goons riding these small choppers were the same spot light guards Octavio used but were dressed for this special occasion, as well as to keep their identities hidden. Sitting in the seats of the copper fastened down tightly, they flew on with their left hands gripping tightly on the steering joy stick and their right hands holding onto the same single shot pistols the spot light guards wielded. Though their armaments weren't as powerful the choppers were sure enough to make an intimidating appearance. However, these small choppers also had built in rocket systems used to shoot down large aerial opponents.

Approaching the bridge, the ten Vincinette gang member's drew closer and closer, soon enough, entering Videl's firing range. As soon as they were over the bridge, Videl leapt out of her hiding place and pulled up into an aiming position a M79 grenade launcher. Sitting crouched and firmly on the spot, Videl griped the handle with one hand and steadied it with her left hand. In one split second, she pulled down on the trigger. A loud thud and whoosh followed and a second later, the leading Vincinette goon at the front of the troop's chopper was thrown back a meter and suddenly exploded. The chopper burst into flames before everyone's very eyes, lighting up the sky in a flash of orange, yellow and white.

The explosion spread out rapidly, followed by a shock wave. Videl had just enough time to duck back behind her spire just as flaming debris and fire started falling from the sky above. Of course, the explosion did more then what the other gang member's expected as the explosion engulfed three other Vincinette goons. Their choppers made choking noises as the explosion engulfed them and the smoke clouded the view of the other choppers and all of them sharply pulled away so not to get caught up in the blast radius. When the explosion faded and the smoke died down, plummeting from the skies not to far above ground fell the three remains of the other Vincinette gang members caught up in the explosion. Their chopper motors were burning and the pilots were too shocked to do anything about it. Within seconds, the smoking wreckages of the damaged choppers fell out of the sky and plummeted into the river flowing underneath Rialto Bridge, huge splashes following shortly after impact.

When the three Vincinette gang members disappeared, the other goons started flying about, looking around for the cause. In their confusion and searching, they were once again ambushed by one Videl Satan, the raven haired girl emerging from behind her cover once again, her Franchi Spas 12 shot gun held firmly in her grip. Upon engaging the Vincinette gang once more, she started taking pot shots at her airborne targets, drawing their attention to her. This resulted in the goons getting a face full of pellets before they could even return fire.

Scattering, each Vincinette gang started returning fire at a panicked rate, doing their best to try and shoot the raven haired girl off of the bridge. Videl however, moved across the bridge, avoiding the shots at the same time firing shots at them, cocking the handle pump and loading another round into the chamber to ready for the next fire. However, the shotgun had a flaw in it as it was unable to lay down any proper barrages and Videl was forced to take cover at points when one of the Vincinette fly boys started shooting at her or a small cluster of them returned fire. So, in order to avoid the incoming rounds from the goons flying high above her, Videl leapt through the air and performing a flip, leapt off of the roof of the bridge. As soon as she landed on the proper walkway of the bridge, she ducked down for cover underneath the covering provided by the sheltering roof built above the walkway. She had recently been on top of it but now that she was underneath it, it enabled her to reload her shot gun. But allowing their target to reload was not on their minds.

Spotting Videl underneath the bridge's roof covering, the remaining six goons dropped altitude. Despite the damage they had suffered already, they were able to control their flying machines and therefore, were still able to fight. Just when they dropped to the height of the bridge's level, they began firing at Videl who was now in view. Cursing, Videl leapt out of the way and tossing aside her half loaded weapon, rolled across the ground and pulled out her two Desert Eagle pistols. Getting back onto her feet, Videl spun around and aimed both weapons in the direction of the Vincinette fly boys flying around in one big mass but still slightly parted to give each other the space they needed to fight. Because Videl had starting to retreat in the direction of they had came from, it forced them to float after her, at the same time keep her in their sights. That proved to be a little difficult now that she was starting to fire at them again.

Loud bangs of gunfire were heard when Videl started laying down a lethal barrage of 44 caliber rounds from her IMI Desert Eagle pistols. Acting as duel weapons, the IMI Desert Eagles proved effective and mowed down the Vincinette goons. Videl had to continuously back off at a jogging base in order to evade the return fire of her targets, at the same time keep them in her sights. This of course did the trick as the Desert Eagle was so powerful it could crack a truck's engine block with one shot. Seeing that the girl was using these powerful pistols, the Vincinette goons realized the danger they were in and tried pulling up. But before they could do so, they found themselves caught up in Videl's line of fire and after a couple of shots had landed, two choppers' immediately were knocked out of control.

A different sound now filled the air and hearing this, the gang turned toward the source of the noise. In the middle of the gang, two chopper's had been hit, including their pilots. A couple of well placed shots from Videl with her IMI Desert Eagles had knocked out the engines or had damaged them. Now, the engines were choking up smoke and spluttering diesel everywhere. The noise of and uneven whooshing and whizzing sound filled the air and before they knew it, the two pilots had plummeted out of the sky. One of the pilots and his ruined craft crashed into the water while another slammed head long into Rialto Bridge, exploding and cracking the structure. This triggered a massive explosion, forcing Videl to change tactic. Crouching low and ceasing fire for the time being, Videl leapt into the air, performing a back flip and landing firmly and well balanced on top of the bridge's roof covering. The brick and concrete structure stood firm, despite the new damage. Videl had to evade both the explosion and the continuous incoming fire from the airborne goons.

With both her pistols empty, the raven haired girl quickly changed magazines, dropping the empty box cartridges before flinging up a new pair and pushing them into the ammo chambers of the two pistols. This was performed with great easy and after simultaneously pulling back the shock absorbing sections of both her weapons took hold of the handles and, taking a balancing stance and pointed the guns at her remaining targets. While the remaining members of the gang floated, shocked or reloading their guns, Videl opened fire.

Videl, smirking wildly as she shot down another Vincinette goon moved about on the roof of the bridge, knowing that she was fighting a winning battle. Also, she had given the signal for the other groups to get moving and go. From this moment, the operation was under way.

* * *

_**Sector air…**_

Carmelita, seeing the fire fight start up over the airspace over Rialto Bridge smirked, and with no Vincinette aerial missiles to pursue her as Octavio's air forces were distracted, she lifted into the skies, her helicopter thundering into the air before shooting off in the direction of the cop station and Octavio's opera house. Because her closest target was the blimp hanging over the Opera building and the one most likely to get everybody's attention, she went for it first. At the moment, people on the roof were pumping air into the large balloon via a long hose pipe. The planned advertisement balloon slowly lifted into the air as seen by Bentley, Sly, Gohan and especially Carmelita. Hovering in the air for some time until the blimp had lifted high enough in the air for her to take it down Carmelita pounced, stirring her helicopter in its direction at full speed. Bentley, Sly, and Gohan, who were sitting and watching the skies near Rialto Bridge light up with fire and explosions with the sounds of gunfire echoing all round, heard another helicopter coming in and looked up at the sky above, seeing Carmelita's M-1001 Hornet diving down from a high altitude. With the element of surprise, Carmelita fired two homing missiles from the slug throwers attached to the wing balancers of her chopper directly at the blimp floating high above Octavio's opera house. In a burst of flames and a explosion, a Hindenburg effect took place.

The blimp burst into flames from the explosion and the large advertisement polluting the skies was no more as it fell from its place in the air, landing a top of Octavio's marble building. At the same time it was falling, Carmelita was out of their, on route for the cop station to get rid of Octavio's sign and second blimp already being set up by Octavio's men. Carmelita used the same basic dive bomber attack strategy. By moving to a high altitude out of reach of any anti-air craft weapons, she was able to dive down either at a very high speed or an evened out pace but still stay at a constant speed where any weapons used against air craft would have been deemed useless, and once she had moved into firing range would deliver a punishing barrage of explosive fire. Bentley, Sly and Gohan could see the advertisements rising on the horizon to meet with the sun and pollute the sky with the villain like figurehead Octavio. It was clear that the old timer had been setting them up for the purpose of attracting an audience, but now with Carmelita ruling the skies; it was her turn to strike. Within seconds, the horizon lit up with fire and explosions as Carmelita launched a devastating barrage of homing missiles at the two advertisements after a quick dive strike. If the cops were sleeping, they'd certainly be awake now.

When both the sign and the blimp hovering before it had lit up into a raging inferno with debris and wreckages flying everywhere, Carmelita pulled up sharply, barely avoiding the intense blast radius. Octavio's men on the ground, just like the one's before them, weren't so lucky. Caught up in the falling wreckages of the advertisements as well as catching a majority of the blast radius, were either knocked off their feet and sent flying or were roasted. Before they could even scream they were finished. A more positive side to it was that Carmelita's attack had also eliminated a minority of Octavio's task forces and patrols, meaning that there'd be fewer thugs to deal with in this operation. For the Cooper gang, it was a huge strike of luck.

With the advertisements removed from place and reduced to burning debris and wrecks, Carmelita smirked and picked at her ear pieced, making contact with Bentley and the others. _**"Alright guys, get moving, I'm heading back to the safe house for phase two of the operation. Once Octavio shows up after you've chased him out of the Opera house, we'll take him together then go find Murray!"

* * *

**_

_**Town centre…**_

Bentley nodded with a smirk. "Well do Carmelita, great work!" With that, Bentley cut of his transmission and turned to the other two behind him. "OK Sly, Gohan… lets get moving. Remember, we've only got a few minutes. In that time, I'm sure we can reduce that pump room in the basement of Octavio's opera house into nothing. This should lure the Don in to investigate. With him out numbered, he's sure to make a break for it, so long as he doesn't bring with him any of his guards. If we are lucky, it will only be him", said Bentley. Gohan and Sly, hearing this nodded, taking note of these important facts.

"OK, enough chit-chat Bentley, we've got business to take care of!"

Following through with their plan, the group of three thieves took off for Octavio's opera house. Leaping down from the building they were sitting on top of, Gohan, Sly and Bentley, in that exact order sprinted across the turf, across the bridge of the canal and, turning right, down the street passing by Octavio's opera house. By passing under the archway crossing over the road, the three of them spotted an iron grate fence making up the perimeter of Octavio's personal garden at the side of the Opera house. It certainly blended in with the rest of the structure, especially since it had trees and grass making up this small patch of wasted space, but this garden also held the entrance Sly, Gohan and Bentley were aiming for: the wine cellar entrance serving as an emergency exit for Octavio's pump room.

Stopping just outside the perimeter of the garden, Sly, Gohan and Bentley only had to glance up at the gates to find their entrance. Smirking, Sly and Bentley turned to Gohan who, with a grin of his own, brought out both of his swords, spun them several times in his two hands before slashing out at the iron fence, making sure that his attacks were thoroughly made and were wide enough. Within seconds, Gohan finished his job and after spinning his swords again, shoved them into their sheaths. Crossing his arms a glancing over at the fence he had been attacking, a second later he saw the bars fall and form a perfect entrance. A arch shaped gap in the fence wide enough for Sly, Bentley and of course, him to fit through. With the entrance made, Sly and Bentley dashed forward and slipped into the garden with ease, followed by Gohan.

They only had to sprint across the garden for several meters before stopped at the side wall of the opera house with the entrance to the wine cellar at their feet. The two wooden doors stood closed before them and all Sly had to do was open both the doors for his friends to fit him. As soon as both doors had swung open, the gang slipped into the wine cellar, following the stairs down to the level below ground. They knew that subterranean movement to get to this place was impossible unless they could find a way to swim through tons of tar and destroying the Opera house by Gohan wouldn't count either. They new Italians didn't like their landmarks destroyed, and besides, it would be considered a real crime where many lives would be lost.

Anyway, after the three of them had breached Octavio's gates and the three of them were in Octavio's basement, they were immediately met with an entire refinery. Though it was a small refinery, the gang was certain that with the combination of tar pumps and drills here, it was enough to channel all of the tar from here and filter them under all the buildings throughout this part of town. Octavio has really gone through a lot to organize this for today's Carnivale. But now that his advertisements are taken out and his Vincinette gang is under fire, his entire scheme will be a bust just as he steps onto the stage.

Entering the cold dark depths of Octavio's basement, the whiff of tar was soon apparent in the air and the noise of the machinery at work was fresh. Bentley, Sly and Gohan were surprised that the noise of machinery wasn't heard by the rest of the town. The construction and design of this underground refinery was built so that no sound was heard out side and that the foundations were strong and firm, perfect so that when the pumps were running, the rumbling didn't cave in any of the walls and ceiling. A disaster happening in this place was very slim.

Spreading themselves out in the basement as far as they could, the gang got a good look at Octavio's tar mining and filtering operation. The Don had gone to such an extent that he'd sacrifice a good use of wine stashing space. This place could have easily been transformed into a drug storage centre or something rather then a pump room. Whatever the case, it, just like all of Octavio's evil schemes had to be removed. There was no way the Don was going to turn the town and all of its people into mush. If what his plans said were true about him performing his opera, during which he would demonstrate his enormous destructive power, then he had to be stopped. His grip on this town was already tight enough.

Smiling, Sly spun his cane in his right hand and slapped it into his left, almost in a hammering motion. However, his expression, as well as Gohan's gave away the fact that there would be a lot of destroying going on around here soon enough. "Well guys, let's get smashing. I don't want to be inside here when Octavio shows up", said Sly. Bentley shrugged and looked over at his friends before rubbing his chin with his thumb and finger.

"Unfortunately Sly, by the time I have set up the charges and have detonated them, Octavio and his men will be rushing in here to investigate the problem. As part of our planned attack, all we have to do is blow up that generator on the far side of the room. If tampered with, it should send a high voltage current throughout the entire system here, overloading the circuits connected to the pump and destroying them. Its full proof", exclaimed the turtle. Gohan and Sly looked down at Bentley then looked up at each other. They shrugged, puzzled and bewildered by Bentley's sudden enthusiasm. Throughout there years of knowing each other, they had never suspected Bentley of being the enthusiastic one. It was usually Murray.

Gohan, after glancing down at Bentley gestured with his right hand toward the generator, which had a strong resemblance to a boiler, and stepped back. "Well you do the honors Bentley. When it comes to this sort of demolition you're the expert. I'm not really sure I want the whole roof caving down on us if I destroy that thing with one of my ki blasts", said the young Saiyan. Sly nodded in agreement and turned towards the boiler, his ears twitching while Bentley just stared at it across the room, judging it from appearance and shape.

"I agree. I'm not really a big fan of getting crushed to death by an entire opera house", continued Sly. Bentley, didn't need to be told twice and after being asked to be accompanied by both of them, wheeled himself round the pumps, railings and boxes toward the generator. At this very moment, the generator was puffing steam and its indicators were glowing red. It must take a big effort to power all the pumps in this room, especially if the generator was pumping itself.

In the small but wide spread area of the basement level, there were two main pumps, similar to those used in oil fields to pump oil from deep underground. There were also four smaller units; these ones were separated from each other and built for a specific purpose. Two stood by each main pump, helping to filter out the tar from the pumping devices and sent throughout the city, however, this was not to be as the four filters also sent the tar to the stirrer. A machine wheel was built at exact level with the ground in a vat the same size and length as the giant wheel itself. This helped stir up the tar before having it filtered into the river systems or under the buildings surrounding the opera house. This device was built in between the two tar pumps and four stirrers. This was one of the primary pumps used by Octavio and needed to be taken out. But to take out all the pumps, you had to strike at the power source.

Rushing up to the generator, Bentley looked it over one last time before finding out the place where he could safely detonate the power house. Sly and Gohan stood on either side of their friend on guard, also watching Bentley's progress as the turtle went about setting up the charges. The charges Bentley pulled out of his equipment pouch from behind him was a cluster of sticks of dynamite with a timer. He only stopped sticking the device to the generator just to remove a couple of sticks from the already set up charge. When that was done, Bentley clicked the button on the side of the charge and spinning around, turned to his friends.

"Come on, lets get out of here", shouted Bentley. Sly and Gohan nodded affirmatively and in a matter of seconds, the two of them, along with Bentley dashed out of the explosive radius of the charges. Just as they were passing the giant tar wheel, they heard a massive explosion, followed by the rumbling of the earth beneath them and the shock wave to follow. Ducking low, the two of them made it back to the button of the stairs to which they used to access this area before and when they were at this distance, turned around to see how their work had helped the situation.

Before their very eyes, the once crippled power generator had been reduced to debris. The electrical build up after the forward part of the generator had been destroyed before the blast had destroyed it completely, sent the high current through all the pipes and currents connecting the lines to the pumps and tar filtering devices. Within seconds, the line of electricity was sent into the power boxes, triggering an overload and destroying the primary running systems of the pumps and stirrers. As soon as the power boxes had blown, the pumps and stirring disks stopped, and the groaning of machinery was no longer heard. it turned deathly quiet before their very ears. As for the wreck of the power generator, it was gushing smoke at an uncontrollable rate.

Smirking, the three of them turned to each other and gave the person beside them the thumbs up, with Bentley giving his to Sly, Sly to Gohan and Gohan to Bentley. The problem was that they had to alternate between the person to their left then to their right, since they were standing in a triangle formation. They all grinned and crossed their arms, turning back to the room before them. With the tar pumps sabotaged and the filter devices down, they could breathe freely. But the true threat of Octavio still remained for the Don still had the detonation switch with him.

"Behold the destructive power of Bentley", Gohan announced in a commentator's voice. Sly chuckled and nodded.

"I have to agree with that one Gohan. Hey Bentley, those charges had some kick", said Sly, clearly impressed with Bentley's set up of the explosives. Bentley chuckled himself and shrugged, kissing his right knuckle and rubbing it against his chest plating's.

"Please… it was a child compared to the ferocious beasts I can cook up. But of course, our whole gang is one ferocious beast. No body messes with the Cooper gang!" shouted Bentley. Gohan and Sly nodded firmly. But before they could continue complimenting each the gang suddenly heard a bang from the steel doors across the room beside the destroyed the generator and within a second, the two doors were blown open.

The doors skidded to a halt beside the motionless pumps where they lay, the three thieves distracted by them for a moment before they looked up toward the area where the doors were supposed to be hinged to. And coming out of the hallway beyond the frame where the double doors were supposed to be emerged the identifiable form of Octavio and his bodyguards. Octavio was of course a giant lion wearing a full black tunic and shoes with a cape and a porcelain mask with a scar across its left eye. Octavio was still identified behind his outfit and mask and his guards were basically just a group of six spotlight guards.

Bentley, Sly and Gohan stood their ground, focusing their attention on the enemy forces that had just entered their midst and their main target that was the reason of this assault. Octavio, flanked by his guards looked around his tar pump room frantically before finally spotting the three Cooper gang members standing before him. The lion fumed at the sight of them and huffed, his fists clenching and his yellow eyes glaring at them fiercely with the signs of flames burning. This didn't amuse Bentley, Sly or Gohan. In fact, they were just scowling at the lion with serious scowls on their faces, their arms still crossed.

"Ahh… Sly Cooper, Gohan Son and Bentley Shells…I thought that you and your gang might have been lingering about my side of town!" the lion exclaimed in a very strong Italian, singing accent. Of course, because he was an opera singer, his voice was very well toned out, real suited for a choir or what not. The gang however took no note of it as Octavio, like all criminals, was a serious villain… as serious as they will ever get.

"Octavio… I take it that this is your basement eh? Not very subtle posting full time guards outside on the streets. Big mistake on our part", said Gohan. Octavio scowled and growled angrily.

"So, you're a big talker huh big shot! From what I heard, your crack pot little gang aren't all that it's cracked up to be, not on my turf anyway", hissed the giant lion. His guards stood by his sides and stood back, making sure not to get involved unless they were ordered to do so. Sly, Bentley and Gohan continued to stand their ground and hold their line where they stood.

Sly shook his head and pointed at Octavio with a serious glint in his eyes. "Listen here Octavio, we're here to stop you and that's exactly what we're going to do. So either give up the easy way or suffer losing to us the hard way", said Sly. Octavio snorted, placing his pawed, clawed hands on his hips while glaring at them.

"Ha… you think that a professional opera singer like me would be out sung by a bunch of two-bid, middle-classed, out of tune punks like you! NEVER!" shouted Octavio, echoing the last part rhythmically.

Bentley placed his hands on his hips and laughed mockingly. "Well, we won't lose against you Octavio, just so you know", shouted the turtle. Gohan nodded and pointed firmly at Octavio.

"Yeah, and believe me when I say this Octavio, we're going to be knocking out all your teeth, one at a time, and making you eat them", threatened Gohan. Octavio laughed out loud in amusement, his guards remaining silent.

"Is that the best you got big shot! Back in my days we had law enforces who can make anyone pee their pants, just by looking at them!" rebutted the lion hotly, crossing his arms.

Gohan glared, so did Sly and Bentley. "Look pal, I don't make ideal threats", replied Gohan, his voice dripping with seriousness. Octavio snorted and pointed at them.

"Well, from what my boys picked up over the radio they say that your gang is nothing without that turtle's brains there. So, I figured that I should just scoop them out real slow, and use it to fertilize my tomatoes. If I can't beat you at singing, then I'll just muscle my way down to you!" shouted the old opera singer. Bentley gulped.

"I uhh… I think I'm allergic to tomatoes", stuttered the turtle. Gohan and Sly sighed and shook their heads; now was not the time for Bentley's joking around. It was time for action. But unfortunately, it wouldn't be them who would make the first move. After hearing Octavio snort, the lion stepped back behind his flanks of guards and pointed at the three Cooper gang members in front of him, his teeth bared in anger.

"Boys, I want them in pieces!!" ordered the giant lion. "Get them!!"

Within seconds, the guards were sprinting toward the group, bringing their pistols to bear and growling loud in their charge. Intent on overwhelming their opponents rather then fight them one on one, they felt a clear advantage come into focus. However, what they didn't count on was the abilities possessed by one Son Gohan.

Just as the force of six spot light guards was opening fire on the three thieves, with the projectiles shooting through the air like speeding bullets, Gohan stepped in front of his friends and quickly shot his left hand forward. With his energy, he fired off a shock wave, one that disintegrated the projectiles before they reached their targets. When that was accomplished, Gohan lowered his left hand and, spinning around, threw both his hands forward in Kamehameha like fashion, launching a far more powerful blast of invincible energy. This one destroyed the hand guns the guards were carrying before the shock wave knocked them flying back. All six of them slammed into the back wall on the far side of the room, the central stirrer, anything that was lying about the room. Whatever the case, they were all knocked out.

Octavio had to hold the hat on his head down as the winds blew fiercely from the shockwave. He managed to keep his feet on the ground as the wave of energy passed him by, leaving destruction and mayhem in its wake. When the winds died, Octavio inspected the full damage the shock wave had caused. His guards were all lying unconscious, all of them disarmed. Seeing this, Octavio looked up at the Cooper gang standing on the other side of the room. Slowly, Gohan stood up straight, moving his arms slowly till they were by his sides again, fists clenched. Standing to his left was Bentley and on his right was Sly, both thieves with their arms crossed and eyes glaring at Octavio.

Octavio took in the odds of him surviving as well as the statistics. Coming to a realization, the lion smirked and clenched his fists, dropping into a fighting stance of his own, his eyes locking onto the three in front of him as if he were determined to fight. But what was really hidden under all that old muscle was doubt. "This recital", he began to say, but his confidence fell a second later, "… is over!" In a swish of a cape, he sun on his heel and sprinted up the stairs and out of sight, on the run.

Gohan, Sly and Bentley scowled at the lion's cowardice. Seeing this, the three of them gave chase, sprinting after the Don before he could get out of sight. But, locking onto his ki, Gohan made sure he didn't get away. "Come back here", shouted Sly.

"He's still got the remote, we have to catch him", shouted Bentley. Of course, they didn't need telling twice or needed to be informed again.

* * *

_**Outside Octavio's opera house**_

_**Neighborhood Centre park**_

Octavio was still running, undefended by any of his guards and security forces and determined to get out of here before the Cooper gang catch up with him. However, Just as he was crossing the bridge over the canal from his Opera house and into the stage area, the three thieves had exited the Opera house and were now at the bridge, watching Octavio running toward the stage. Gohan, who was at this time in front of his friends, brought his right hand up and powered up an attack and in one swift movement, ditched the golden ki ball at the fleeing Octavio, intentionally missing its target and hitting the stage.

A shock wave followed the impact of the ki ball striking the stage and a split second later, a explosion erupted from the centre of the stage, the entire podium like set up prepared by Octavio bursting into a inferno. A pillar of fire shot into the air and dispersed, followed by tons of black smoke lifting into the air. The blast radius extended all around and was enough to knock Octavio flying back, the lion hitting one of the tables and chairs. The furniture broken under his weight as the lion crashed, a groan escaping his lips when he stopped skidding along the ground. All he could see now were stars spinning around his head as he slowly regained his bearings.

Gohan, Sly and Bentley cheered and dashed across the bridge. But instead of heading to Octavio, moved round the smoking wreckage of the stage and stopped at the base of the restaurant beside it. On the roof of that restaurant the familiar form of Murray the hippo stood, staring wit wide eyes down at the scene before him. First he had watched a mafia guy running away from his friends and a second later… boom, the stage set up exploded. Fire filled the hippo's eyes again and he couldn't help but feel lifted again.

Stopping side by side, the gang turned to see Octavio stagger back to his feet. It was now time for the next phase of the plan, to convince Murray to return to the gang by sticking him into a fight again. It was the only thing that got the hippo's blood boiling again. Bentley this time being ahead of the group closest to Octavio, spotted Murray on the roof and despite of the danger behind him, didn't make any moves to step away from it. Octavio at this point was fuming.

"Murray!" Bentley exclaimed in surprise. Gohan and Sly spotted their friend on the roof, the hippo having now turned his attention to them. It was only Octavio speaking up did it catch the attention of the present Cooper gang members.

"So, you want to fight! FINE! I will never forget this… you boys are DEAD", cried the lion in his opera toned voice, his fists clenched and shaking as he held them up in anger. Sly scowled at the lion and pointed at him.

"Listen Octavio, we know that you have the remote detonator, so hand it over and we can end all this! The cops will be closing in soon. If you just hand it over to us we can all find a way out of this neighborhood", said Sly, explaining the current situation in form. The lion coughed a moment later and pulled out from his pocket what looked to be a basic remote with a red button on it, as well as some other smaller switches. The gang spotted it and stared in surprise. Murray on the other hand was still awed by the previous events.

"What, you want this little thing. What's the point, I've got more of these stashed away anyway", replied the lion, almost saddened that his plans had been foiled. Though it took a little longer then expected, but Murray's enthusiastic side suddenly returned and the hippo pointed toward the wreckage of the stage.

"Did you see that guys! The way that guy was running, and when the stage blew up, with fire and everything?!! DESTRUCTION!! Soooo COOL", exclaimed the hippo, his eyes wide and his hands waving about frantically like a child watching an extravagant movie.

Octavio stared up at Murray oddly then grinned evilly. "You think that that was cool punk. Watch this. Heh-Heh-Heh…!" With one finger wave, Octavio brought it down on the red button and with a resounding beep, an explosion followed. Feeling the rumbling and the sound of the explosion, Bentley and the other's looked to their left across the large river running through the town near Rialto bridge to see a five story hotel come crashing down into the foundations beneath it. The building went down with dust hurling into the air, blinding all sight of it. When the clouds of blinding dust settled, on the horizon, the gang saw one building missing and several other's around that one structure damaged from falling debris. Bentley was shocked.

Turning to Octavio, Bentley wheeled over to him and held up a shaking fist. Octavio, having pocketed his remote again approached Bentley on tapping feet, his hands clawed at his sides and ready for attack. His yellow eyes glared at Bentley hotly as the turtle stood up to him. Gohan, Sly and Murray stood where they were, shocked. "You monster", Bentley screamed, Octavio stopping right in front of him but still skipping on the spot. "Stop it! STOP IT!!"

In a blink of an eye, Octavio cranked his right foot back and sent a round house kick at Bentley, knocking him over. His wheelchair skidded across the ground while the turtle fell out, sprawled out on the ground in an almost unconscious but clearly vulnerable state. Gohan, Sly and Murray gasped in shock, seeing Octavio push past the downed wheelchair and stomp toward the turtle.

Sly, in desperation, turned to Murray, seeing the hippo still watching the show down from the rooftop above spoke up to him. "Murray, we need your help. I've never seen anyone move that fast. Octavio may be old but he's still got it", said Sly, trying to convince Murray back onto the team, onto the field and to help his friend. Murray stammered meaningless words before actually coming up with something to say.

"B-But, I vowed to my Guru that I would renounce all violence. I can't turn it down now", replied the hippo. Gohan, having fed up with this stuff turned to Murray and shouted.

"Murray, please you have to help Bentley. You're the only one who can take down Octavio without killing him in the process. What happened to 'the Murray'?! The guy who would take on an entire group of thugs while only wearing a towel! The guy who would punch first and not bother asking questions later!! What happened to him!? What happened to my best friend!!?" shouted Gohan, honest, truthful and desperate. Murray stammered, thinking frantically.

"B-B-But the water, it's still black!!" he replied. Gohan growled through gritted teeth.

"It'll be clear soon enough Murray. Come on, help us take Octavio out", said Gohan. Murray was confused and didn't know what to do. True he wanted to help his friends, the people who had meant more to him in his life then anything else, but he still had to uphold the tasks his master had given him. Looking around at his friends and Bentley, he knew he had to do something. The rivers were still black, but the situation right now looked even blacker. Bentley was hurt and was about to get crushed by Octavio who was now standing over him.

"M-Murray!" Bentley called out in agony, unable to move. "H-Help me… please!"

That was it, those were the words that snapped Murray back into reality. He had made up his mind. Black water or not, he had to help his friends. Reaching up, the hippo snapped the crocodile tooth necklace he wore, the thing falling to pieces in his hands. Before he knew it, the hippo cracked his knuckles and pounded his fists together, his eyes filled with the fury of his true nature. "That does it!! I'm going to floss my teeth with your spine!!"

Gohan and Sly heard this and smirked. A second later, just before Octavio could crush Bentley, Murray leapt down from the building above, coming to his friend's aid. With one enormous blow, Murray sent Octavio hurling through the air before crashing into the wreckage of the stage behind him. One punch to the face was enough to knock the Don senseless. The wreckage burst into splinters when the Don crashed into it. However, as it turns out, the Don only got a bleeding lip and within a second, he was back on his feet. But now, standing before him was not just Gohan and Sly, but a recuperated Murray in the front of the pack, his fists balled and was standing in his symbolic boxing stance. Murray smirked.

"YES!! The Murray has returned!!" he bellowed, immediately running into action. Sly and Gohan clenched their fists and held their right one up in success, grins on their faces as their friend rushed into battle. Just as they were watching Murray confront Octavio face to face for the first time in combat engagement with both of them circulating while keeping their eyes on each other, Gohan and Sly felt Carmelita and Videl join them on the field. The two girls suddenly came down from the building behind them, both of them armed with their firearms, Carmelita and her shock pistol and Videl with her full arsenal of pistols and shot gun.

"What did we miss", asked Carmelita, both she and Videl having their eyes on the fight at hand. Sly and Gohan shrugged, crossing their arms.

"Not much, just the beginning of the final confrontation between the Murray and Octavio", replied Sly. Videl and Carmelita grinned and sat back to watch the fight. However, before they could really get comfortable, the four of them moved ahead and scraped Bentley off the pavement, helping the turtle back into his wheelchair and helping him bandage up a few wounds and ice his forehead. All the while, the five gang members watched on as their friend Murray took on Octavio. Already sparks were flying.

Octavio let out a roar and ran at his opponent, bearing his claws and slashing out with a right hook, a left hook and a couple of uppercuts before finishing it with a straight punch. Murray saw Octavio approaching at the same time unleash his first flurry of punches. Murray ducked, backed off and avoided all those attacks. He judged that Octavio's claws were pretty sharp and surprisingly, the Don was pretty fast. He suspected Sly's observations were correct after all.

Seeing Octavio miss him again by throwing an over shot upper cut, Murray dashed in while Octavio was bringing his arms down from that upper cut and hammered hooks into his chest and torso. The Don grunted as those blows struck him and was forced back as Murray repeatedly sent those punches into him. Octavio's endurance against Murray's attacks was incredible, but truth to be told, the Don was wincing incredibly from the pain coursing through his body from those blows. After all this was over, he would definitely be soar in the morning.

Having finished pounding Octavio's mid-section, Murray came up with a powerful upper cut to the Don's chin, smacking him hard. It was a fatal blow on Octavio's part as the Don staggered back, reaching up with both his paws and rubbing his lower jaw from the bruising. Octavio stopped staggering a few seconds later and returned his gaze to the battlefield, his fingers still running over his chin. Spotting Murray standing in his boxing stance, fists up and skipping on the spot, Octavio growled, dropping into his own unique stance. His caws stood bared again and his yellow eyes bore into Murray's. His bottom lip was bleeding on the right corner and the left corner, the red blood dripping down and falling from his chin, staining his fur.

"Ok punk let's see what you've got. You may have spunk and strength, but I am holding back no longer. Listen to the song of your death!!" exclaimed the Don. Murray grinned and performed his symbolic fighting pose.

"The Murray knows no song, but the triumphant horn section of his own triumph!!" replied the hippo. Octavio snorted again, his nose huffing out steam.

"Stop talking stupid kid and die!!" Leaning back, Octavio tested his vocal cords by playing a couple of notes before he shot his mouth open and aimed it directly in Murray's path. In an exploding sound wave undetected by any of the gang, Octavio unleashed sonic waves of deadly proportions. Murray clamped his hands over his ears from the vibrations and loudness of the sonic waves thrown at him, as did the rest of the gang. As if on queue, the sound waves struck the windows all around and shattered them. It was only a few seconds later when Octavio had ended that small solo. Shutting his mouth again, the Don wiped his lips and tasking his stance again, sprinted forward, straight at his opponent.

Though he may have been shocked, Murray saw Octavio approaching and quickly got back to the fight. Sprinting forward, Murray began throwing straight punches and hooks at his opponent, only for the larger lion to duck and side step the punches. When Murray struck across at him when the Don had moved to his left, Octavio ducked it and came up with an upper cut of his own, striking the hippo in the chin. Murray was knocked back from the blow but it was only a minor hit. With his superior strength, he was able to endure it and as soon as he recovered, the Murray returned to the fight, approaching the swift Octavio again and throwing a combination of straight punches, hooks and upper cuts. The blows were swift and powerful, but every time Murray attacked Octavio backed away from it, out of reach.

After Murray had finished his combination, Octavio came back in with a flurry of his own punches. Sprinting forward, he slashed out at Murray, the hippo scarcely avoiding the punches before getting a right straight punch across the face. Murray was knocked back with a loud bang from the contact of the fist to his face. He flew through the air for several meters before landing on his back. With his ears ringing and is vision blurring slightly, Murray shook his head from the blow and leapt back to his feet, taking his boxing stance again and watching as Octavio circled him casually, a smirk on the Don's face. The Cooper gang watched from the sidelines, a little worried but confident in Murray's ability to handle this fight.

"Well punk, giving up yet. You know you can't beat the tenor", said Octavio, stopping and turning to the hippo while dropping into a fighting stance. Murray huffed spitting on the ground in disgust. He actually spat out blood from his mouth that had appeared from that last blow to the face. All in all though, Murray was feeling and looking fine.

"We'll see who's the greatest here Octavio. Eat this", yelled Murray. Sucking in air, Murray suddenly let out a loud, powerful roar directly at Octavio. The wind from the roar was incredible and nearly blew Octavio's hat away but certainly scared the hell out of him. The Cooper gang was directly behind the Don and had to cover their ears once again. Indeed, they may be both surprised and a little impressed but were certainly in the need to keep their feet dug in. The Loudness of Murray's roar was loud but soon enough it died down, allowing Murray to take in some breaths of air before taking to the fight again, using Octavio's tactics against him.

Octavio was just straightening his hate when he was suddenly punched across he face by a left hook. He staggered back fiercely trying to regain his footing, only to get an upper cut in the gut and then elbowed from an upward strike from Murray. The hippo continued sending straight left and right punches into Octavio's gut before concentrating hooks and upper cuts to the Don's face. With every blow, a loud thud resounded with the choking, coughing and grunting sounds escaping the Don's lips with each blow impact. The punches were strong, fast and powerful, and to finish of his attack, Murray sent one final punch across Octavio's face. This one toppled the staggering Don and falling backwards, Octavio rolled on the ground before stopping in a crumpled heap on the ground.

Murray let out another battle roar and seeing Octavio slowly rise to his feet with shaking limbs, charged. Just as Octavio looked out, Murray cranked his left fist back, a ball of fire surrounding his enormous fist before he sent it into Octavio's face. The blow was enough to create a shock wave and send Octavio crashing into the wreckage of the stage. Debris flew everywhere, and the Don was left unconscious. The dust settled, and the full extent of Murray's work was revealed.

Seeing the defeat of Octavio and the triumphant Murray standing over him with his fist raised, the Cooper gang applauded and cheered for their friend. Murray let out a yell and gave everyone the thumbs up. Gohan and Sly returned it in kind and were about to go over to congratulate him when the sounds of sirens reached their ears. Reacting quickly, as they did on so many times before, the gang retreated for the safe house to get moving and get back to France. But before they were fully gone, Sly, who was lingering back, went over to Octavio and stole the remote from his pocket. Within a second, he was gone, following his friends out of there.

Octavio was only conscious enough to see through blurry squinted eyes the form of Sly Cooper slipping away into the distance and over Rialto Bridge. He choked on his last words.

"So that's it huh… the old guard is out… and a new generation steps in… uggghhh", the Don forced out before finally going out, his vision going black and his strength exhausted.

* * *

_**Videl's thoughts…**_

"After the fight we got back to the safe house safe and sound. It took us a couple of minutes, but we managed to patch Bentley up and for a little while longer, we watched as our friend fixed up the damage his wheelchair had suffered in his brief encounter with Octavio. Surprisingly, there was very little damage considering the alloy used in the aid chair. As it turns out, Bentley was alright. He said that only his ego was bruised. With our gang reassembled, we were ready to head back to Paris."

"It was touch and go for a while there, but with Carmelita's helpful piloting skills, she managed to slip us out of there right under Interpol's nose. Lieutenant Gronk got his fair share of the reward as it was he who took the unlucky Octavio into custody. Over the news we heard that Octavio got 30 years behind bars for what he did to Venice. I guess Italians don't like it when you sink their landmarks. His unfolding plot to work his way back up to the top didn't go unnoticed by the law enforces and with the photos Sly had provided them, we managed to put that crazed Don right where he belongs. Behind the bars was where he would be spending the rest of his remaining life or a quarter of his life whichever one comes first. Ironically enough, Octavio found success as a singer while in jail, seeing as that most of his fan base was already in the clink. His entire gang was placed under arrest and charged with numerous crimes. Their part to play in Octavio's scheme did not go unpunished."

"The big score here however was bringing our old pal back into the gang. After he put on those gloves and that mask, it was clear to all of us, most of all him, that 'The Murray' had returned!"

TO BE CONTINUED…


	25. Rumble Down Under

DRAGONBALL Z **meets **_**Sly Cooper**_

_**RUMBLE DOWN UNDER**_

_**Gohan's thoughts…**_

"At first, it was just like old times, the gang was back in action. As soon as we got back to the old gang's hideout, we celebrated the return of Murray. We had pizza, played the video games me, Sly, Bentley and Murray always used to play in our younger years, and watched movies with our sweethearts… well, maybe just me and Sly spent time with Carmelita and Videl but as per normal, everything was back to the way things were years before. It was one hell of a night, we woke up half dead almost."

"Everything was set right again. But little by little, we found out that Murray's heart just wasn't in. Without the Guru's permission to give up on his Dreamtime training, he never really felt comfortable returning to the game. He told us that in the morning and we all agreed that we needed to help him out. So we put our hands in together as a team and made an oath that we'd all contribute to this new and exciting task. Packing our things and whipping up some quick disguises, we headed for the airport and bought one way tickets for the Australian outback."

"It was quite an unusual group. Sly had taken in the whole punk look. His disguise consisted of a full leather outfit, aside from the dark brown turtle neck, and he even styled his hair so that he was unrecognizable. He also wore sun glasses with the lenses having a tint of red in it and clip on piercing to help change his appearance even more. It was amazing what he could get away with. Anyway, while Sly went as a punk, Murray went as a child dressed in jeans and suspenders, a red and yellow striped T-shirt and one of those weird helicopter hat things. Bentley got the right impression and dressed up as an old man believed to be too weak to walk and used a wheelchair, an outfit that suited him best. Carmelita went as a business woman, her outfit just a mere dark blue and white striped business uniform with a skirt that stopped way to high up above the knees for someone like her to wear but definitely showed off a lot of legging. Videl went as an American soldier, her connection with the army allowing her to check in her weapons, as well as many other things. As for me, I took up the whole Arnold Schwarzenegger Terminator look. I had to stay at a controlled Super Saiyan form throughout the whole trip, which wasn't a real big deal but I did have a lot of trouble combing my hair to the right style. Other then that, everything went alright, except for the fact that my appearance attracted a lot of attention from the women population and that did not go well on my part."

"Along the way Murray told us story after story about his teacher's amazing abilities. Apparently, this Guru of his was capable of fantastic feats. He used the Dreamtime to blend perfectly into his surroundings and even gain control over the weak minded. If even half the stories were true, then this was a guy I just had to meet. Our gang needed to grow its ranks for a chance at the Cooper vault job, and this Guru, this outback mystic was looking to be the best recruit we could ever ask for."

"However, by the time we got to the outback, we were shocked to find things have changed. Ayers rock and the entire landscape around it had turned from a once thriving natural environment to a polluted wasteland where a immense mining colony had set up shop. They were digging everywhere and dumping their filth in all places, Ayers Rock itself, the bush lands and Wave rock. The cultural disrespect was repulsive, vial and despicable. We ran a quick sweep over the region and the Guru was no where to be found. Murray was upset."

"We had to find the Guru and fast!"

* * *

_**Outback Australia, Ayers Rock**_

The once beautiful outback that shone with a golden glow with the illumination of the sun high above now stood barren and wasted. At the base of the giant red rock Uluru in one particular section of the region was the mining camp set up by the colony of miner dingoes who had moved in. It was this new, foreign set up that was leading to the polluting of the landscapes as the presence of the miners was having a huge affect on the natural habitat and the image that once portrayed this land. The once orange sands and dunes were now greasy black and the vegetation was slowly being eaten away from unsuitable terrain and foundations. All the sacred places and tourist attractions were being excavated and dug into by large drills with thousands of tunnels and shafts already created, ruining the once pure soil. Fossil fuels were a first for what else was polluting this land.

All along the canyons and cliffs were the sure signs of outside interference. Ayers rock's surface has been chipped away by the miners moving their drills to the more harder to reach places and wave rock was suffering a real blow in its side from a huge drill truck parked beside it, digging its saw like blades into the surface. A river flowed through this region, but it was no longer sparkling crystal clear. It was green and undrinkable, the miners having dumped their wastes into the river that was vital to the survival of the wildlife population around here. Other then the offenses these miners have committed just so they could excavate for the rare opals buried under ground, the full scale of their operation has led them to build a small town here. Up on the far side closest to the lake which the river flowed in to was a large cabin built as a bar, its exterior décor attracting the attention of the miners and serving as their getaway and rest area. Shacks and cabins had been built along the highways of rock and stone where these routes were used to move the heavy equipment through from one place to another. Trucks were parked in many places, loaded with rock and valuable minerals. Power lines were hung up along the walls and cliffs to filter power through to the drills and satellite dishes allowed tip top communication between two out posts. Pipe lines also ran along the grounds and cliffs where leakages were constantly checked. A single power station was also set up to supply the town with electricity. However, of all the various buildings and refinery's around here, one of which, a oil factory was built. This consisted of a couple of pumps and oil towers. It was also apparent that there was a lot of oil underground and the miners were also going to large extents to get to it; even if it meant digging deeper and polluting the sacred places. If you were to look closely, you could tell that the sky had blackened from the carbon and smog emissions from the vehicles, factories and machinery. Whoever was in charge of this entire outfit was unknown, but whatever the case these miners have got to go.

Speaking of which, the groups of miners and patrols weren't really much to speak about but did pose a real threat and challenge to the Cooper gang's mission here. A full arsenal of Spot light guards, troops and legionnaires. To make things more complicated was that they had a helicopter patrolling the skies or more specifically a gyrocopter. It constantly hovered about the skies, dropping its ordinance on whatever seemed suspicious. However, that was not the problem…the problem would be muscling any possible way through this place. The spot light guards were a pack of muscle bound dingoes with a physic similar to the spot light guards back in Venice but were far stronger. Dressed in white singlets, blue jeans, an outback hat atop of their heads, combat boots and armed with a Mossberg ATPS 500 with plenty of back up ammunition, they made up a lot in both strength and their commonly fearsome appearance. The troops or miners consisted of smaller breeds of dingoes and kangaroos. The dingoes were a bunch of toughies wearing tattered jeans, green vest jackets and purple turtle necks. Their primary weapon was a whip, and they put it to great use. The kangaroo squadron was a breed of green fur colored kangaroos wearing purple vests and outdoor hats. Armed with brass knuckles, they could sure put up a good fight at close quarters. But the legionnaires were something to think about to. They were a group of human Australian mercenary soldiers. These Tommy's were dressed in desert combat uniforms and were armed with either a Winchester model shot gun, an Enfield 303 rifle or a M16 assault rifle. There was only a small garrison on patrol rounds, separating into groups of two. They were highly trained in combat and were far more agile then the muscle bound spot light guards but were certainly not as strong.

Just as the patrols were busy following their respective time tables, they failed to notice a certain person leaping over the various rooftops and high places created by grand rock formations. Under the cover of shadow and keeping at a high elevation to avoid suspicion or detection, Son Gohan made his way over to the chosen shack the gang was using as an elaborate safe house. This shack was built on the far side of the region the mining colony had set up shop and was far away from the patrol routes of the miners and spot light guards so the gang was safe. It was a big shack and hard to miss as it was also built on a high point with windows allowing the resting gang to look out onto the landscape and keep a lookout on what was going on around the camp and inform the other members of the team who were working out on the field.

Leaping on to another roof slanted shack, Gohan crouched low and quickly made another leap onto a rock platform high above the ground. He stopped and pulled out his binocucom, focusing it onto the safe house built up on the high ledge above him. The rusty, steel walls of the building failed to even shine in the light of the setting sun but it surely left the windows clear and easy to look through. Sitting in front of the window facing in his direction was Bentley, Murray and Sly, all three of them on duty while Videl and Carmelita were somewhere below level working on a few weapons and preparing a little meal in the kitchen. This was something they were getting used to in their free time.

Having spotted his friend's wave to him, Gohan nodded and turned round, averting his binocucom so he could enhance his view on a large cliff section. This made up part of the mining colony's perimeter and definitely dwarfed the small buildings making up the town. All along the cliff there were wall hooks, ledges, wires and tree roots. There were plenty of points for either him or Sly to use while making their way up to one particular part of this large cliff. Because the cliff ran along the perimeter just behind the safe house and along the right length side of the disfigured rectangular area, the cliff, as well as the region Gohan was aiming for was in full view of the rest of the gang from the safe house. This particular part of the cliff Gohan was aiming for was a large formation of rocks forming a platform with a boulder arrangement set up in front of a small cave dug into the side of the cliff. The frame work was prehistoric especially since the door was a thick stick atop of the frame with a painted cloth hanging over the front entrance of the cave.

As soon as Gohan had his sights locked onto the cave high above the mining town, Murray's face suddenly appeared in the bottom left part of his binocucom, his background pink to suite his image. The hippo smiled at Gohan, the screen a bit fuzzy but as soon as it cleared, Murray began to talk. _**"My master spends most of his time up in that cave, looking over the valley and contemplating the deep depths of deepness. I'd really appreciate it if you speak with him about me rejoining the gang and breaking off of my dreamtime training Gohan",**_ Murray communicated through their ear pieces, explaining to the young Saiyan about the layout of the situation. Gohan smiled and nodded, making sure he remained crouched in his position on the large flat rock sitting at a high elevation.

"That's alright with me pal. I'm actually looking forward to meeting him. Anybody you call 'master' must be one heck of a guy", replied Gohan. Murray grinned and nodded enthusiastically.

"_**Oh yeah he's awesome. He'd like get inside of your head and freak you out six ways from Sunday", **_said Murray, clearly awed by the Guru's capabilities. Having been trained by him, Murray had seen the guy do a lot in his few months of training. Gohan was impressed, even though he was confused at his friend's antics.

"Umm…awesome! Anyway, I'm on route for the cave now", Gohan informed. With an understanding nod, Murray dropped connection for the time being, allowing Gohan to switch off his binocucom and shoved it back into his pouch.

Glancing to his left and right, Gohan made sure that there were no wandering eyes from any near by guards and quickly, leapt into the air and onto the path leading up to the safe house, just before reaching it, Gohan made another major jump and landed atop of the shack. Upon landing on top of the shack, Gohan ran across it, cluttering against the steel roof before jumping towards the cliff side behind the building. The young Saiyan managed to leap from his high elevated position and across the road beneath the safe house before pulling out both his swords and slamming them against the cliff side, hooking himself onto the side of the cliff where he hung strongly.

It didn't take very long for Gohan to plot his route and after clambering side ways along the cliff, jumped toward one of the hooks hanging from a post sticking out of the cliff side. Grabbing hold of it, Gohan immediately leapt toward the next one, where he landed on top of the pole holding the hook up instead before dived toward the third hook. This well placed path allowed Gohan to progress across the grounds quickly and undetected without the use of flying. Well, he wouldn't be able to fly anyway as Bentley strictly forbade him to do so for he might be spotted by the gyrocopter that would certainly put their mission into jeopardy. They did not want this place to be put on full alert when they just got here.

Anyway, after grabbing hold of the third wall hook which kept Gohan suspended above two patrolling mercenary soldiers, the young Saiyan swiftly made another major swing toward a forth hook. He needed to keep out of their line otherwise they might spot his shadow. Gohan wasn't as agile as Sly and certainly not that graceful as he relied more on martial arts, but he still knew some sneaky moves. Anyway, after passing them by and moving onwards past a a drill farm where a small area has been placed under heavy excavation, Gohan made one last strong leap and, by passing the fifth hook, landed on his right knee and left food with his right hand slammed down on the ground for support. He needed to land crouched to prevent any earth shattering landings and because he had two swords, he had to execute this as safely as possible.

When he landed on the small rock structured platform, Gohan looked up and to his right toward the cave. From here, he was able to get a good view of the design of the cloth door. It had the painting of a aboriginal koala face that was done in the Guru's symbolic light purple and dark purple colors. But art and architecture was not what Gohan was here for, he needed to find the Guru. However, upon walking over to the cave and inspecting the interior of the small place by merely lifting up the door coverings and peering in, he came to a disappointing conclusion when he founds nothing. He frowned and lowered the door, pulling out his binocucom again and turning it on. Quickly, he focused it out onto the mining camp below.

Though the view was amazing, Gohan had little time to admire it when Murray suddenly appeared on the screen, concern etched on his face. "Sorry Murray but the cave is empty. Do you have any other idea where the Guru might be", asked the young Saiyan. Murray scratched his head. Just as he was thinking, Gohan's binocucom suddenly swept over an area on the other side of the camp where another cliff ran along the side of the town belonging to the mining colony. Murray shrugged and pointed it out.

"_**Well, that's his hut up there",**_ said the hippo, typing in something into Bentley's computer so that green way point pinpointed around the small hut atop of the cliff. The small home like structure looked to be made of fabricated material and was also of a cave man like design. However it was smaller then what Gohan expected it to be; kind of reminded him of Yoda. Murray rubbed the back of his head and murmured before speaking again. _**"But he doesn't really hang around there much on account of the smell…"**_

Gohan raised an eyebrow, a sweat drop forming on the back of his head. "The smell..?"

Murray scratched his head. _**"It's a long story. I had to apologies to him up and down for like a month before he would speak to me again."**_

Gohan chocked back a laugh, suspecting the impossible. "What did you do?"

Murray shook his head and gave Gohan a deadly eye through the binocucom. _**"The unspeakable Gohan… the UNSPEAKABLE",**_ Murray replied in a dangerously slow and cautious tone of voice. Gohan sweat dropped again at this and grinned nervously.

"Well… thanks for speaking of it. Look, I'm headed toward the hut, I'll keep tabs on my progress to you guys", said Gohan. Not wanting to be apart of another one of Murray's drastic conversations at this point at the newly brought up subject, Gohan switched off his binocucom before putting it away. Looking around the mining camp, he saw that no miners or guards were looking up and that the gyrocopter had past by not long ago so, it was safe to say that the coast was clear. Before any guards would show up along the various routes or shacks, Gohan crouched low and made a major leap across the landscapes below, the wind whipping past him as he sliced through the air like butter. He managed to make it across the shacks below and land on a large water tower.

With his landing silenced, Gohan came up close to the edge of the water tower tank, his back against the cold hard surface. Keeping to the shadows, Gohan sneaked around it, glancing so to make sure that no one was on it. Seeing this, it was safe for him to proceed. With the hut atop of the cliff that had grown above the famous tourist attraction Ayers rock, it would take a fair and fast climb up there without getting spotted. However, he still had a fair way to go from where he stood on the water tower.

Looking around the place, he found a couple of rock structure sticking up and out of the ground below, all of them surrounded by a number of shacks. He smiled, believing that they would provide him a good path across the miner's camp in order for him to get to the Guru's hut. So, he may as well get a move on before any trouble decides to strike.

Before taking in even a breath, Gohan leapt forward and dived down toward the nearest rock formation, landing on both his hands on its flat surface and steadying himself. Just as he shifted his weight forward and his legs started to fall, Gohan pushed off the ground with his hands while aiming for his next target. Leaping over another path the dingoes used as their travel route, Gohan landed on both his feet on top of a shack before making another small leap onto the giant rock the shacks were built around, landing on top of it. He was about to move again when he suddenly crouched, hearing the gyrocopter pass by overhead. The shadow barely grazed his as he watched it fly off, the pilot unaware of his presence or position on the rock. Gohan sighed in relief and when he did, he focused back on the task.

In front of him was the cliff and high up above on top of it, almost overshadowing him and blocking out the sun was the hut. However, on a lower part of this cliff was another structure of buildings, this one having a large, high fence. But it didn't look like anything to him so he just focused on the hut. Crawling a bit across the rock formation and peering over the side, Gohan saw a wide, green river flowing right under the cliff and cringed. His nose stiffened and he immediately pulled back. The stench of the river was unbearable at that range and he rubbed his nose to ease the sudden pain. However, this was only a small set back for him to endure and after his nose had stopped throbbing, he concentrated on the cliff in front of him, looking up and down its structure.

Upon closer inspections, he noticed a few wall hooks nailed into the sides of the cliff and many tree roots sticking out. He understood why the roots would be there but the wall hooks were a bit of a puzzle needed to be solved. But as soon as the reality struck him, he banged his head at how stupid he was. _"The miners must use those hooks to help haul their drills and equipment from place to place. Guess I'll be having some rock climbing practice. Sly's the best climber, I'm just a beginner",_ he thought to himself, opening his eyes and looking back up at the cliff in front of him. Lowering left hand back to the ground, he reached behind him with his right and drew one of his swords.

Spinning it in his hands a couple of times, Gohan then sprinted forwards and, initiating a major leap, reached out with the sword in his left hand and hooked it onto one of the wall hooks closest. His feet slammed against the side of the feet and, hanging off of his sword that was hooked onto the cliff side, steadied himself. With an entire wall to climb, Gohan immediately got to work before he was spotted or any of the many spot lights passed over him. So, with strength and agility unlike anyone else on the face of the planet, Gohan began his climb, pulling himself up with his sword and throwing himself upwards towards the next wall hook, gripping hold of it with his sword again. He had managed to propel himself a couple of stories to reach this hook, even though there were many more beneath him. He was attempting to shorten his journey upwards without the need of any other obstacles interfering with his climb.

As per attended, Gohan continued climbing, this time, flinging himself towards an outstretched root. With his right hand, he gripped hold of it, at the same time, pulling himself up and digging the blade of his sword into the side of the cliff. With one last big effort, Gohan pushed off the side of the mountain and launched himself towards the cliff edge, throwing his sword up and grabbing the side with his sword's blade. Only hanging their for several seconds, Gohan pulled himself up fully and flipped up onto the top of the cliff, crouching low near the edge and dropped into a fighting stance, his eyes looking left and right.

Unable to detect any signs of disturbances or any enemy figures around, Gohan got up and walked over to the place he was aiming for, which was the Guru's hut. Reaching it, Gohan found that this hut was built underneath the tree for extra shade and, from close observations was built sacredly. The Guru was a mystic and of course, had a thing for the Dreamtime. The hut's support frames were made of sticks, branches and bones and the exterior covering was made of fabrics and other cotton, linen and polyester materials. Like the cloth door of the cave Gohan had visited before, the covering of the tent was exactly the same. It was colored purple, light purple, white and pink and was darkly colored underneath the shadow of the tree. Unlike most huts, this one sort of resembled a tent but because of all the things hanging off of it such as crocodile skulls, chains of teeth, leaf infested branches and sacred writing painted over it, it was most likely a hut. Plus the foundation it was built on was proper and solid, making sure the structure didn't fall over or cave in.

Signs of a burnt out fire place just outside the entrance of the hut and other indications of the Guru's presence here such as empty bottles, seats and tattered rags, looked quite fresh. The fire had recently burnt out and was smoking slightly with ashes being the remains of the wood and branches used to make the fire. However, the only problem was the Guru wasn't here. Gohan discovered this upon investigating the hut itself. Peering in through the entrance, he immediately pulled back while pinching his nose, making a disgusted noise and facial expression. He waved his free hand in front of him and shook his head. God, the smell was awful. But that didn't really matter. It was now obvious the Guru wasn't here and there was no way he would be anyway.

Pulling out his binocucom, Gohan contacted Murray again, the hippo's image popping up on screen as the young Saiyan walked over to the edge of the cliff, focusing his attention on the mining colony far below. "Sorry Murray but nobody's home, and from the looks of it", Gohan began to say, glancing back at the hut before looking back into his binocucom. "I think he was fighting someone or something off here. I'm sorry to say this but I think the miners might have got to him."

Murray's expression fell and he looked away. _**"You're probably right Gohan. I mean, they'd just come in and be all angry and he'd be all peaceful. That'd just really tick them off. Then he'd try to find a 'middle way' and then they'd just get infuriated and smash everything up, then haul him off!!"**_ Murray explained. Maybe he was a bit over exaggerating but it was clear that he was concerned with his master's safety. His tone of voice and hurriedness in how he said it was evidence to his worry. Gohan made no exception of it and shrugged, wanting to move on at this point and have some questions answered.

"Where do you think they might have taken him", asked Gohan. Murray gripped his head tightly and shook his head in plain view of the camera which Gohan found kind of awkward.

"_**THEY GOT HIM!! My Master's a goner!!"**_Murray screamed. Gohan cleared his throat and sweat dropped a little. Eventually, Murray calmed down but Gohan decided to move to an alternative source of information.

"Umm… Murray I think we should put Bentley on the line", said Gohan. Immediately, the screen fazed out in the bottom where Murray once was and a second later, Bentley's face appeared, concerned and thoughtful. Gohan smiled at the quick switch and murmured to himself. "Instant turtle…"

"_**I'm sorry Gohan but I think that this situation is transforming into a real mystery. It might take some detective work but I'd say that one of the buildings around here might be holding the Guru. If the miners are holding him prisoner, then they'd surely use a refinery strong enough to hold such a powerful entity", **_said Bentley, rubbing his chin as he spoke. Gohan questioned this and looked downwards towards the large building he had seen before. The same building appeared in his sights, the one with the real high fence that was sort of being eaten away. Perhaps it was how poorly it was built did it have this sort of appearance.

"Well, maybe that place might be holding the Guru. I can't see much from here, but I can chance a guess that they might use that place with a high fence. Get Videl on the line", said Gohan. Bentley nodded and vanished from the screen, his image being replaced by Videl's. The raven haired girl smiled when she saw Gohan and nodded to him.

"_**What's up Gohan",**_ asked Videl. Gohan smiled and nodded, pointing towards the structure below him. Whereas he was on a high point while the building was several stories below him to his left. The way it was built, it concealed most of itself but some of it was still in plain sight, especially the insides of the high fence perimeter.

"Videl, do you think that that property down there would be holding the Guru prisoner", asked Gohan. Videl, seeing this nodded and scratched her chin before crossing her arms.

"_**It most certainly would Gohan. That down there is a stockade, perfect for holding prisoners in an open area. Unfortunately for the Guru, his powers rest in the force of both nature that is channeled to him through the moon stone, the bridge between our world and the spirit world",**_ said Videl. Gohan raised an eyebrow and was clearly impressed.

"Wow, really?! How'd you know that", asked Gohan curiously. Videl shrugged.

"_**You can't blame a girl for trying can you. Murray told me about it, but since he's in no condition to be talking, I might as well tell you myself. Anyway, do you see anything down there that would look like it could hold the Guru's staff and moon stone",**_ asked Videl. Gohan took his time in examining the outer perimeter of the fence for any signs of a safe or crate. He found it, resting outside the gate of the giant fence: a safe resting on top of a box beside a snoozing mercenary soldier. The guy was clearly sleeping, his arms crossed and his outback hat dipped over his eyes with his feet stretched outwards. The guy had no idea what was going on around him.

"Yeah, that so called 'guard' that is supposed to be on duty", said Gohan. Videl grinned and balled her fists, holding them up in a fighter's like pose.

"_**This is your chance, get him while he's dozing",**_ said Videl. Gohan, smirking wildly, shoved his binocucom back into his pouch and, crouching low beside the cliff's edge, suddenly leaned his body forward and dived down, straight towards the snoozing guard.

Flipping through the air, Gohan landed soundlessly several feet in front of the guard, right hand on the ground and sword shoved back onto his back. With the element of surprise, Gohan decided to use his ki in this occasions and threw his hand directly at the guard/. With very little effort and without waking the guard up until now fired off a force wave, smacking the guard over the seat with him letting out a yell of surprise.

After rolling on the ground a couple of times before coming to a rest flat on his gut, the human guard pushed himself up on his hands and knees, attempting to regain his bearings and make a grab for his Magnum 44, only to be grabbed by someone from behind and suddenly lifted into the air. With a terrified scream, the guy was thrown over the cliff and sent plummeting into the river far below. There was a loud splash as he vanished beneath the green, murky waters, surely never to be seen again as he would be swept down stream. With the guard removed from play, Gohan dusted his hands over before turning to the fence before him.

It was surely tall, stood to about two stories high and was poorly designed. Gohan came to a conclusion that it was built on short notice, especially since there were a lot of small holes, chipped pieces of wood, bent and uncoiled barbed wire and anything that would make a suitable obstacle. Crates were piled along the fence probably to steady it however little has been donated towards the security cause of the lack of prisoners needing to be held. Gohan was relieved by this as he did not want to go sneaking past any security today anymore. All he wanted to get on with was finding out where the Guru was. He found him however as soon as he reached the large gate designed as a part of the fence and to blend in with it, Gohan was suddenly met with the small form of the Guru himself. The mystic himself came up to the gate to investigate the commotion going on the other side.

Gohan was able to get his first good look of the Guru for the first time upon arrival. He had to admit, Murray had described who his master was thoroughly well. The Guru was an anthropomorphic Koala with purple fur and stood up to about half of Bentley's height when the turtle was actually standing. Unfortunately Bentley couldn't stand anymore. The mystic was also face painted. He had white lines going across both cheeks and a light dab of yellow over his big purple nose. The Guru also had sacred markings painted on his arms and the back of his hands. His head was covered with a bandanna and the only other clothing he wore was a type of tattered loin cloth. No jewelry was worn by the Guru except for two beads he wore on his beard and the only thing else to speak about was his hair which was made up of thick strands rather then forced into bunches. Gohan tilted his head at the Guru who looked up at Gohan in kind as if intrigued by the sight of the other.

Gohan smiled and waved his hand towards the Koala. "Hi. You must be the Guru. I'm a good friend of Murray's. I've come with a message from him. He says he wants to break off from his Dreamtime training if that is alright with you that is", said Gohan, not taking his eyes off of the Guru. The Koala blinked a couple of times and nodded. Then he started speaking in some sort of old language though didn't seem to make any sense was incredibly easy to understand through Gohan's ears and he was certain everyone else would understand.

"_Yes, yes, if Murray has encountered some urgent needs he must see to, then he has my permission. However, I do request of him one more favor if he wishes to leave his training. I believe you are aware of the outsiders who have invaded the sacred lands out here",_ said the Guru, pointing out the mining colony, towns and drilling machines. Gohan nodded, crossing his arms as he looked over the land again with disgust evident in his expression.

"Yeah, I can see that the miners have really done a number on your land. Tell you what, I'll bust you out of here and I'll take you to Murray. That way, you will be able to speak with him and we'll come up with something to clear these miners out", said Gohan. The Guru, hearing this shook his head and pointed towards Ayers rock.

"_No, I cannot leave as yet for many reasons. I must have my gear in order for me to leave otherwise I am of no use to you. And if I may ask, is there any other friends Murray has not told me of yet besides you",_ asked the Guru. Gohan raised an eyebrow at him and nodded, even though he was a little puzzled.

"Yeah, Murray has more friends, and they're all here waiting. Why?" asked Gohan. The Guru nodded to him and looked about the fences holding him prisoner.

"_I must inspect Murray's friends and see how pure their spirits are. If you wish to work beside someone, then first you must see if you can trust them and whether they are trustworthy. Thus, I wish to speak with each and every one of your friends individually. However, you may bring them all here and I will speak with them one at a time, including Murray", _the Guru explained. Gohan scratched his chin in thought at this new revelation and nodded with a smile, looking back up at the Guru.

"OK then. I'll call my friends over. Also, if you want to, is it OK if you join up with the gang in return of us clearing out the lands for you of all the miners?" asked Gohan, sort of sweetening the deal between him and the mystic. The Guru thought for a moment, scratching his chin before smiling himself and looking back up at Gohan. The mystic then pointed at him.

"_If you help me then I will help you. We have an accord", _said the Guru. Gohan smiled and gave him the thumbs up.

"No worries Guru, I'll call my friends over now. Don't worry, my friends are nice guys. You'll also find that we have a knack for getting back things that were wrongfully taken", said Gohan in a mischievous voice. The Guru chuckled and nodded back, seeing Gohan turn to the side and put his finger to his ear. The young Saiyan toned his voice a bit and lowered it to a whisper.

"Hey Bentley, gather the gang and head on over to the stockade. I've found the Guru and I believe he wishes to meet with all of us", said Gohan. Bentley, not needing for it to be explained to him twice nodded at his end and replied.

"_**The gang and I are on the way Gohan, hang tight…"

* * *

**_

_**A few minutes later…**_

The gang had soon enough gathered outside the perimeter of the stockade's high fence and was currently waiting patiently several meters away from the gate. Because the gate continuously denied access to the area beyond to all of them and kept them all out as well as the Guru in, they were forced to speak with the Dreamtime master through the fence itself as Gohan had done. Gohan, already having spoke with the Guru has been cleared by the koala and now stands waiting and listening to the next. Amongst the entire gang, all of them were watching Murray speak with his master, apparently both of them investigating the situation deeply.

A few minutes later, Murray left the fence and his master with a big smile on his face and cheered, the Guru obviously amused by his student's antics as he walked over to his friends. Gohan and Sly smiled at each other and gave the other the thumbs up before turning back to Murray who was walking over to them. "Hey guys my master has given me permission to rejoin the gang. He also says he'll join us afterwards to fight off these miners", said Murray. Bentley grinned up at his friend and fisted his hand in triumph.

"Perfect, so long as he is willing to do so", said Bentley. Murray nodded down at his good friend and shrugged.

"He seems eager to. Anyway, he wants to see you next Sly. He'll call each and every one of you up one at a time. Guess he'll ask you some questions as well", said Murray. The entire group nodded and when they did, Sly walked over to the fence slowly, cane over his back and stance perfectly straight up and proper. The raccoon stopped before the fence and bowed. So on, the conversation went on between the two with Sly introducing himself and bowing his respects to the mystic.

While the two of them were talking, Videl looked to her left towards Gohan to see him staring at the Guru, listening intently on their talk. Seeing this, Videl smiled and stepped over to her mate, giving him an eye and causing the young Saiyan to avert his attention and turn to her in surprise. "Find anything interesting", asked Videl. The young Saiyan shrugged in return before turning back to look at Sly and the Guru with Videl leaning into his chest.

"Nope, they're just talking about the miners but I think Sly is telling the Guru about the Cooper vault and how the he could help. Fortunately, the Guru seems to be wanting in on this. Not for any rewards but wants to help Sly get back his family's inheritance", said Gohan. Videl nodded, also keeping her eyes fixed on the two of them.

"It seems that way. He's the kind of guy that wouldn't want any money or wealth, he's already got everything he needs, such as the land and the richness of it", replied Videl in a whisper. This made Gohan smile as he slowly wrapped his arms around Videl and hugged her tightly, Videl finding comfort in his show of affection.

"If you say so, because I've got everything I need here", said Gohan, laying his chin on her shoulder. Videl was flattered by this and smiled, her cheeks reddening. She leaned back into him and sighed, closing her eyes in satisfaction. The two remained like that for a while, completely oblivious to everything else around them.

One by one, the gang members went up and back from the Guru, all of them being checked up by the master with grand results. Even the Guru was surprisingly impressed. When Sly returned, Carmelita went up, followed shortly by Bentley and finally Videl. All of them had earned a place in the Guru's presence and after all of Murray's friends have been interviewed, if you can use that word so early in the morning, the Guru called them all over. It was Gohan who was first at the gate as he was the first person the Guru had spoke to and had become quite an interesting subject in the koala's eyes.

Walking up to the safe beside the chair the guard had been sitting in moments before but has been dispatched by Gohan, the young Saiyan plied it open with a single pull and, grabbing the contents from inside, pulled them out. As suspected, the safe contained the Guru's staff and moon stone. The staff or walking stick was a large branch carved nicely into a cane with many markings and symbols on it. To complete it, tied to the thick top end of the staff with a strong fabric material was a pinkly glowing, spherical object about the size of a baseball. This of course was the moon stone as Gohan could sense a mass of spiritual ki coming from it.

With both objects in hand and the entire gang eyeing it curiously as Gohan walked back to the gate, the young Saiyan tossed it through one of the large holes above the Guru who caught it eagerly and took it into hand. The moonstone began to glow brightly as the energies clashed with the Guru's and the familiar strands of spirit were detected and reacted together. Once that was accomplished, Gohan shrugged towards the koala in question, eyeing the fence dividing them from the Guru. "So umm…you want us to bust you out now?" asked Gohan. The Guru nodded.

"_Yes but be quick before the next shift of guard comes",_ replied the koala. Nodding, Gohan and Murray moved into action. Both of them took different sides of the large gate and using their combined strengths and partnerships, gripped both ends of the gate and plied it off with great ease. Together, they walked the gate around and laid it against the fence, the Guru allowing safe passage out of the stockade. When the gang had parted slightly and were all standing side by side with the Guru in their midst, Sly turned to all of them and pointed in the direction of the safe house.

"Alright guys, lets head back to the safe house and cook up a plan. We need to drive these miners out of this place", said Sly. Murray nodded.

"Yeah… and, if it isn't too much trouble err guys… could we get something to eat. I'm hungry", exclaimed the hippo. Immediately, the gang heard a loud rumble. They suspected it to be coming from Murray's stomach as he did say he was hungry. But that didn't come from Murray, it came from Gohan. It only took a second for the gang to narrow down on the sound and Gohan, reacting to this, crossed his hands over his gut and blushed in embarrassment. Videl merely giggled while Bentley sweat dropped. The rest of the gang couldn't help but laugh.

Carmelita shook her head and looked around them. "Don't worry guys, we cooked up something really good back at the safe house. Let's just hope it hasn't gotten cold. Who's up for Chinese and Italian", asked the vixen. Immediately the hands of everyone shot up except for the Guru's and Videl. Seeing this, the fox took the lead and left, leaping over the side of the cliff and landing on the roads on the other side of the river below. The gang immediately followed, all of them possessing the capabilities to jump and land despite the height and distance.

In a long line, the entire gang sprinted back to the hide out, making sure to stay out of the sights of any patrols, especially that gyrocopter.

For now, things were finally looking up.

TO BE CONTINUED…


	26. Lemon Rage

DRAGONBALL Z **meets **_**Sly Cooper**_

_**LEMON RAGE**_

_**Sly's thoughts…**_

"OK, so clearly in order for the Guru to join our team officially, we would firstly need to thin out the Australian population a bit. That, I mean by disposing of these miners and clearing out their base of operations. It was obvious that getting rid of all the miners and purifying the lands won't be easy, but the gang and I were willing to do it for the greater good, and of course we might be getting an extra set of hands for the Cooper vault operation. Once we got back to the safe house with the Guru in tow, Bentley and the rest of the gang began putting together a plan that would inevitably lead to the departure of the miners. If they didn't want to go quietly, then we may as well result to forceful evacuations. But there was just one problem. There were seven of us and an army of over a hundred miners. Though the odds may be stacked against us, we were determined to complete this next objective."

"However, as it turns out more misfortune was to follow when Bentley and the Guru made a startling announcement. Unfortunately while the miners were digging and drilling into the sacred place for opals and oil, in so doing they had somehow managed to unleash the Mask of Dark Earth. This powerful entity was long believed to have been concealed since the beginning of time and was watched over by the Guru's ancestors, them being entrusted with the task of guarding it. They had passed on this task for generations, only for the Mask to be discovered and was now roaming free. Though neither of us really believed in such supernatural stuff, what we had encountered in the past surely changed our opinions and thus we were not going to rule it out as not a threat just yet. If we do happen to encounter it along the way, then we might as well try to destroy it."

"Anyway, after hours of grueling scouting and reconnaissance, Bentley finally managed to cook up a plan that would thoroughly ensure the success of our operation. It was a small map, but if executed well, we would certainly take away the moral of the miners and drive them out of here. Of course, when we heard about it we were absolutely thrilled. Over the time we were here we had discovered a bar that the miners and soldiers went to for a bit of rest of relaxation until they were called into service again. Bentley concluded that if we show some muscle towards these chumps and drive them out of the bar, then we'd certainly get them out of here. One way or another, if inside the bar turns into a brawl then we would be forced to take each and every miner down single handedly. This was an assignment I was going to enjoy: a full on fight alongside my best friends. However, because the Guru was the peace loving mystic he was, he said he didn't want to get involved as he lacked the physical stamina. Instead, we gave him a different task. While we take on the bar patrons, in so doing call in the rest of the miners in the surrounding area, the Guru would use his abilities to take down the gyrocopter. Because it has landed for the night for refueling, it was the perfect time to strike at it."

"After we had driven the miners out, Gohan, Videl, Carmelita and Bentley will get to demolition work, destroying every single drilling machine in the entire area. But, if we can manage to get the message through to the miners' heads, maybe they wouldn't need to take out the giant drills. Whatever the case, it would be a quick and soon enough victory. If this plan is successful, then we are home free and the Guru would surely be on our team."

* * *

_**Outside the miners' tavern**_

The giant wooden shack acting and designed to be the bar housing the miners' gaming, drinking and relaxing pleasures was booming with lights. Coming from the inside of the tavern was the tone of outback music and classic rock as well as the chatter of the many miners who were stationed here right now. It was a wonderful night, and with all the shifts being postponed, the guards were using the time they had for their own reasons. Most of the miner guard had set up shop here for the night and were enjoying a nice time with their mates, drinking, gambling, and all the things a hard working miner would do in his free time.

As for the Cooper gang, tonight was the perfect time to strike. Gathering on the porch under the cover of shelter, Gohan, Sly, Murray, Bentley, Videl and Carmelita stood side by side in front of the entrance. The bar doors were closed but because they were designed like the swinging doors from the old West, the gang could see inside perfectly. From the looks of it, the miners were still sober. This meant that they were conscious enough to intimidate. Once the entire gang was assembled outside the bar, Sly turned to the entire group and grinned, clenching his fists and holding it up in determination.

"OK gang, look tough and get angry, its time to intimidate the locals", stated the young raccoon, his eyes twinkling in mischief. Gohan smirked and clenched his fists, tensing them up at his sides and locking his eyes on the entrance of the bar.

"This is going to be cake", exclaimed the young Saiyan quietly. Videl nodded in agreement and, tightening the gloves on her hands, pulled them on so that they were nice and secure, clenching and unclenching her hand in anticipation.

"Well then, lets get started", said Videl. Bentley, seeing the serious and determined expressions on his friends' faces gulped and shook in his wheelchair.

"I'm not sure that I can do this. How do you guys get angry", asked Bentley. Sly and the other turned to Bentley and looked at him oddly, seeing the nervous look on his face. They thought nothing of it though but were a little surprised at the turtle's questions. However, Murray, being the encouraging and enthusiastic type decided top ease Bentley's pains with a little bit of his advice and knowledge of the subject. Before he could do so Carmelita spoke up.

"Bentley it's easy to get angry", said the vixen with a smile on her lips, trying to find a light to Bentley's uncertainty. The turtle sighed and glanced down at his feet before looking back up. Murray nodded in agreement to Carmelita's words and, fisting his right hand slammed it against his chest.

"Yes, all you have to do is find the match, deep inside of yourself. Light it, and let the fire burn up your gut and BOIL YOUR BLOOD", yelled the hippo, balling his fists and tensing his biceps, his expression getting angrier and his muscles bulging against his bones. Sly, Gohan and the rest of the gang looked over at Murray in puzzlement, and seeing the hippo perform one of his poses, leaned away. They may be used to 'the Murray' but it was taking a while to adjust to this new Murray.

"Uhh… yeah I usually do the same thing", said Sly. Videl nodded; sweat dripping down her forehead while Gohan merely sweat dropped in comparison like he did when he reacted to these sorts of things.

"Yeah, no questions asked".

Gohan, having returned to reality sooner then the others shook his head and smirked, glaring back over at the entrance to the bar. Murray soon enough came to his senses and returned to his original state while the rest of the gang took their time to compose them. "Alright, look guys, our goal here is to drive away these miners and hopefully purify the landscapes in doing so. If we are lucky, we won't need to do any demolition demonstrations today and add more damage to the land", said Gohan. The other nodded in agreement and together, barged into the bar with their symbo0lic tough person's expressions and moods.

* * *

_**Inside the bar**_

The inside of the tavern wasn't all that bad. All around the rectangular shaped drinking bar were the local patrons and drinkers. As expected, the entire inside of the bar was made of woods, the walls, the roof, the tables and the bar where the sell drinks itself. Behind the bar were shelves, all stacked with bottles of all sorts of alcohol. Though all of the furniture was made of wood as well as the walls, the floor wasn't. It was made of good old solid dirt and hardened concrete. There was also a stage where a line of tables were set up and an electrical fence surrounding it. Electrical fence was actually electrical as it had currents of blue high voltage electricity shooting from one power pole to the other. A power generator was built in the corner to feed power towards the fence and the lights inside of the bar. It also powered the juke box that was currently playing in the corner. The stage of course was set on one side of the bar while the doors to the bar were across the room from it on the other side. The bar from the entrance of the bar was built on the right along the length of the tavern and the seats and tables were set up on the left side, meaning there was a wide space in the centre of the tavern.

As for the patrons, most of them consisted of the breed of grey fur dingoes who served as security and the miners. They were the same guards who wielded the whips that they used for defense and attack, showing their authority through brute strength. There were also other guard types. Those included the kangaroo guards and the spot light guards. The bartender was just an ordinary human soldier and was at that moment, busy cleaning some empty beer cups. Things were acting as per normal. Groups of guards were sitting around the tables while others walked around by themselves, taking n the scenery. There were quite a lot of decorations up including paintings and hunting trophies. Of course, they were really impressive displays to observe.

However, all of this fun, relaxing and games stuff was soon to end when the doors suddenly burst open and spilling from the outsides were the six Cooper gang members. At the front of the gang stood Sly, then beside him to his right was Gohan and to the raccoon's was Carmelita. To Gohan's right stood Videl and beside her was Bentley while beside Carmelita to her left stood Murray. The gang was all ordered up and stopping several meters beyond the entrance, stood and glared at everyone in sight. The slamming of the doors certainly caught the attention of some of the tavern goers but what was soon to come would certainly attract the attention of more guards.

"Listen up dirt bags", Sly called out, "time to clear out, from now on this bar is Cooper gang turf", he declared with seriousness and toughness in his voice. That definitely did not sit well with the miners standing around who were listening. The other bar members also caught wind of this too and turned in the Cooper gang's direction. Seeing the six ranking outsiders, they soon became aware of the competition. With their bar at a risk of being lost, a group of miners approached the gang. The closest of the lot, who had three stripes on his vest above his left pocket (meaning he was a Sergeant) approached the troop and stood before them, soon to be accompanied by five more of his buddies. They all glared at the six of them who glared back. Bentley though was still trying to look and act tough.

"Tough talk Wagga!" the leading miner growled in a very outback Australian accent. His henchmen nodded in agreement. "But you ain't got no respect with us. We boys are known around these parts for our drinking skills", he continued in exclamation, rubbing his belly after he had said that and grinning at the lads behind him. The other dingoes smirked back and nodded, patting their bellies. The lead guard turned back to the Cooper gang in front of them and glared hard. "And of course lads, this just happens to be the best lemonade bar in all of the entire mining theatre!"

Gohan and Videl raised eyebrows and glanced at each other while Bentley gulped, feeling a little intimidated himself. "Sly, I'm not sure this is such a good idea", whispered Bentley. Murray glanced over at his friend and gave him the thumbs up.

"Keep it together pal", whispered the hippo. It was during this time Carmelita was in deep though. After rubbing her chin and looking about the bar a couple of times, she looked up at the miners in front of her and stepped forward, catching the attention of her friends and the dingoes.

"If a lemonade drinking contest is what you had in mind, then the six of us will take on the best six lemonade drinkers you've got!" stated Carmelita, pointing at the leader dingo. Sly smirked and nodded in agreement, looking back at the troops of dingoes in front of them. The Sergeant of the miners was looking over this with careful thoughts but eventually, a grin spread across his facer and he looked back up at the Cooper gang, a twinkle of mischief in his eyes.

"Fair Dinkum then mates. It just so happens that we're the best drinkers in the bar. The contest will, be up on stage. Losers have to clear out!"

With that, the six dingoes turned on their heels and began stomping up to the stage all in a single file with the Sergeant in the lead. The cooper gang followed with Sly at the front and Bentley at the back. In a line of there own, they filtered themselves through the bar, across the wide open space and stepped up the steps leading up onto the stage. The electricity fence built up in front of the stage had died down and all that was standing were the power poles that channeled the high voltage power to each other. This allowed the miners and the Cooper gang to gain access to the tables on the stage. Already the bartender had placed huge mug full's of flowing beer in the bar cups and had set them in rows in two columns down the length of the line of tables: six mugs in a single column, all on either side.

With the Cooper gang filing along the back to the wall and the dingoes taking their places in front of them with the fence poles switched off behind them, they stood in an orderly fashion. The Sergeant was to take on Sly while the other dingoes were assigned to every other Cooper gang member. Sly was first up, then Gohan, then Videl, followed by Carmelita, Murray and finally Bentley. The gang continued to look tough, but Bentley was inwardly shivering in his boots.

Once they were all saddled up, both the dingoes and the Cooper gang got into starting positions and, with all of them eyeing their opponents, twitched their fingers. They were edging as they waited for the yell to go. However, because they were to go in an orderly fashion, they just had to wait. The Sergeant looked down the isle at each determined face, his nose itching and his dog like ears twitching. With the clock ticking he started the count down.

"Ready… steady… GO!" he shouted finally, grabbing his cup. Sly immediately made a grab for his and lifting the glass to his mouth began sculling it. It would be in these types of situations where you would hear 'chug-chug' in the background, but this was to be a fair and competitive competition where no cheering from the crowds was to be heard. Apparently, this was something quite serious going down between the Cooper gang and the miners. But that didn't mean the entire bar couldn't watch.

With very little of the lemonade spilt, the two drinkers continued pouring the bubbly liquids down their throats. Of course, the Cooper gang was smirking as they saw that their good friend Sly was winning. The Sergeant was outmatched by the raccoon whatever the case. Murray cheered and Carmelita crossed her arms. Gohan gave his friend the thumbs up.

"Suck it in Sly, keep it up", said Gohan. Murray fisted his hands and pounded them on the table, rattling the cups.

"Go Sly! GO!"

Bentley gulped when he saw how good drinkers they were. "Uhh… yeah go Sly. Umm… I think I'm allergic to lemonade", stuttered the turtle. Carmelita and Murray, who were closest to Bentley turned to him and gave him and odd look. The dingoes across from Bentley also gave him an odd look but turned back to the competition when they suddenly heard a clang of a cup. Looking back, they saw that Sly had finished and that the Sergeant was still going, unfortunately having some trouble getting it all down his throat. When Sly wiped his mouth, Gohan grabbed his and immediately began drinking it down.

Because Gohan could drink faster then he ate and was definitely the fastest consumer here, he finished his drink in less then five seconds. The cups of course were pretty big and could hold a substantial and satisfactory amount of drinkable liquids, so it would take the rest of the gang a long time to drink. For Gohan, it was like taking a sip out of a cup of coffee. By the time the Sergeant was done, it was already Videl's turn and she had consumed at least one third of her cup.

The next dingo up started drinking. He was a bit faster then the Sergeant but still drank at a steady pace. As for Videl, she drank at the same rate Sly did and before the second dingo could finish, she was done, and slammed her cup down on the table in front of her, letting out a satisfied sigh. At the sound of the cup, Carmelita picked up her beverage and immediately started pouring it down her throat. The sounds of gulping was apparent from both ends and as the competition raged on, every member of both gang's started encouraging the person drinking with shouts and cheering.

"Come on Carmelita. You can do it", shouted Gohan. Videl clapped for her.

"Yeah! Go! Go!"

"Clock is ticking", shouted Murray. Sly grinned and crossed his arms, watching his girl drink it down to the last few milliliters.

"You can do it Carmelita", he shouted.

A few seconds later, Carmelita had finished and slammed her cup down, wiping her lips and smirking. Together, the gang that had already drunken their fill turned to the next competitor in line. It happened to be Murray, the second biggest eater and drinker of the gang. When Murray started drinking, the third dingo was already half way to finishing. Unfortunately for him, Murray was as fast a drinker as Gohan and within a time limit of eight seconds, Murray's cup was empty.

With the cup down time on their side, Bentley started drinking. Taking the cup in both hands because of its size, Bentley put the rim to his lips and tipped it over, opening his mouth wide and swallowing the entire contents. By the time Bentley had drank the cup to half way, the dingo supposed to be up against Carmelita started drinking. As the seconds past, Bentley continued drinking and the dingoes were catching up. Bentley wasn't really the one for these sorts of competitions, but by the time he had drunk two thirds of his cup, the dingo across from Murray had started.

"Come on Bentley", Sly shouted in encouragement.

"You can do it buddy", shouted Murray.

"Yeah, drink that stuff", shouted Videl.

Bentley's friends spurred him on and he drank faster. From the beginning of his drinking time, Bentley had spilled a large amount of his lemonade and up to this point he was still spilling it, the bubbly substance seeping down from his lips and spilling onto his chest armor plating's. But, just as the dingo across from Murray had finished, Bentley finished. The turtle slammed his cup down on the table with both hands and after taking in a large intake of breath, let out a loud belch. Gohan and Carmelita chuckled at this while Murray cheered.

The competition stopped there on in and the dingo supposed to verse Bentley didn't make a move for his cup. Bentley of course, placed his hands on his hips and looked proudly over at the Sergeant on the other end of the table. "We win", Bentley stated in a gurgle toned voice as his stomach slowly digested the drink. The Sergeant wasn't impressed. In fact, the lead dingo of the troop was looking pissed.

"That's cheatin'! The turtle spilled more then he drank! Around here there's only one thing we do with cheaters", the Sergeant hissed angrily. Glancing over to his right towards the dingo on the far end of the table, the lead miner nodded to him and as soon as the dingo received that nod, he turned on the switch on the power pole behind him, the fence lighting up with currents of electricity. "Turn on the fence Bruce! Its time we gave these cheaters a beatin'!"

Slamming their fists into their palms and cracking their knuckles, all the miner dingoes lined up in front of the Cooper gang pulled out their whips and leapt onto the tables. Howling in anger, they all glared down at the gang in front of them with malice, fangs bared. Looking at each other, the Cooper gang didn't need telling twice and responded to this with just. As soon as the miners had jumped onto the tables, Carmelita drew her shock pistol and Videl pulled the shot gun from her back behind her. In sync, the two girls blasted the dingo in front of them on the table, the blasts from their guns and the impact of the projectiles knocking their targets back and sending the into the fence. As soon as they made contact with the electrical currents, they were deep fried and their bodies were reduced to ash before their very eyes.

The rest of the gang also reacted to this. Sly and Gohan together leapt up onto the table to meet their opponents head on, and with quick, fatal blows to the chest's of their targets with one well placed punch, two more dingoes were thrown into the high powered electrical fences. Both of them were electrocuted and reduced to ash. Murray and Bentley meanwhile went for another approach. Together, the two of them lifted the table up in front of them, tossing the dingoes off and sending them into the electrical fields as they slipped and fell. Their screams died down within seconds.

With those dingoes dispatched with, the Cooper gang turned to the rest of the bar patrons. Of course, they were unable to move with the electrical fence obstacle in their path. But that too was quickly removed when all Gohan had to do was kick it away with a shock wave blast. When the electricity died down and the power poles were out of the way, the Cooper gang leapt over the tables and onto the other side, all of them dropping into their familiar fighting stances. Videl cocked her gun at the same time Murray cracked his knuckles.

As soon as they saw their fellow workers get pounded, the miners left at the tables all got up and charged at the gang before them, all of them pulling out their weapons and letting out howls and battle cries. The bartender meanwhile got onto the phone and immediately called in of a bar brawl occurring, calling in the security and guard forces all around. Things were about to light up at the bar right about now.

* * *

_**Outside**_

_**Somewhere in the mining camp**_

At the helicopter pad on the far side of the camp away from the bar, the gyrocopter sat resting right on the 'H', its pilot sitting outside smoking a cigar and watching the area around the pad. The pilot was the same time of dingo as the muscular spot light guards but he wore a pilot's uniform rather then the singlet and jeans. With his ears up and eyes lurking about, he knew how to keep his wits about.

He had recently heard of a brawl erupting at the bar and was ordered not to move from his post and resulted in him watching the commotion going on up at the bar. He could see guards from every corner of the camp rushing up their and entering the bar via the double door entrance. Though he couldn't see what was going on up there, he certainly knew what was going on down here. Nothing! The sky was dark and starry and the drilling machines in the distance sounded. The machines were fully operational and the rumbling noise they made as they drilled into the ground or into the sides of cliffs were perfectly audible. It completely blocked out all other sounds. That meant bad news for him but he was confident on everything else going on around here.

As he sat on the bench set up beside the helicopter pad and watching his beautiful machine in all its glory, he failed to notice a certain rock behind him start to sparkle purple. With all the noise going on, he failed to hear the murmuring and chanting of a distant person. It was like something out of a myth or fantasy story. However, this was no ordinary hocus pocus. This was real camouflage magic being performed by a certain special Cooper gang operative.

As soon as the purple sparkling aura grew brighter, the rock began to glow pink. It seemed as if it was about to explode, but after a few more seconds, it suddenly burst into smoke and powder, the blinding smoke screen dying down to reveal the small form of the Guru. The purple furred mystic now stood behind the chopper pilot who was still sitting in his chair, his eyes glaring up at him and his cane held firmly in his hand. The Koala's ear twitched as his eyes moved between the pilot and the helicopter and in that time, the Guru began making careful observations of the thing's he was dealing with. However it soon became clear to him as what he should do. With a smile on his face, the Guru dashed forward and quickly clambered up the chair.

His climbing made a light rattling sound, barely audible. However, the pilot could feel something climbing up the chair and fearing for the worst, jumped to his feet. Unfortunately for him, the Guru had clambered onto his back and was now on his shoulders. Before the pilot could do anything, the Guru suddenly clamped one of his clawed hands onto his head and the other one he held in front of the man's face. In a flash, the Guru began chanting again, his cane held under the hand he had pressed against the guys face while his other hand made waving motions in front of the pilot's eyes. It was during this split second time did the pilot fell out of consciousness and into a deep trance, his eyes becoming swirly and his limbs falling limp.

The Guru smirked as he noticed his chanting had already kicked in and, using this to his advances, sent his thoughts into the pilot's minds. As soon as the pilot received these messages, he let out a howl and sprinted forward at an amazing speed. Before he did so, the Guru managed to leapt off and land just in time to see the pilot charge straight into the helicopter. The strength he used was amazing as the pilot rammed straight into the helicopter's side, breaking a hole into it and almost knocking it over. Instead, a chain reaction occurred with the helicopter bursting into flames before exploding into oblivions, smoke and debris flying everywhere.

A bright flash of light engulfed the Guru for only a couple of seconds, and when it died, all that remained of the gyrocopter was the flaming wreckage of it and a giant, smoking crater. The Koala smiled and tapped his cane to the floor, letting out a satisfied cheer.

"_That is that",_ he exclaimed.

* * *

_**Back inside the tavern**_

A vicious brawl and fight had erupted quickly into an almost full scale war if you look at the competitors and the people involved in it. Around the entire tavern everything had been reduced to splinters and wrecks. All the tables and chairs have been smashed to bits and were now lying around in pieces, meaning that those still fighting had to walk over them. Those who weren't fighting because they were either dead or unconscious were lying in bloodied up heaps and looked to have suffered a real beating. To join the bodies and destroyed furniture was the cracks developing in the ground and walls and the bar, first piled over with glasses, cups and bottles was now trashed with broken pieces of glass everywhere. The shelves behind the bar where the bartender worked were all torn down. The bartender meanwhile was no longer behind the bar as he had to move because of the issuing fight and the chaos all around him. He has surprisingly lasted this long and for a couple good reasons.

For starters, he was hiding on the other side of the long stretch of desks and tables making up the bar, ducking for cover as bullets and shock pistol rounds rammed against the bar itself. Already his end was decorated in holes and burn marks from the incoming rounds of one's Carmelita and Videl. He was constantly ducking in and out, giving off suppressing fire before hiding again. This was turning into a nuisance for both Videl and Carmelita as the pair was hiding behind some upturned tables up on stage. While Carmelita was busy picking off some straggling miners, spot light guards and other military soldiers, Videl was continuously hammering the bar with shot gun rounds in hopes that she might hit the bartender. Why they were hiding was another good question and can be explained through the fight itself.

Not only was the bartender constantly returning fire with his Mossberg shotgun every time Videl needed to reload her 12 gauge, there were also the soldiers themselves who have deposited themselves around the bar and were now firing across the room directly at Carmelita and Videl's position. The spot light guards had also hidden themselves and were using their Mossberg shot guns to try and gun down the two thieves. Carmelita was trying to take out the soldiers and Videl was too but was more concerned with the bartender as he was a damn good shot and the spot light guards were becoming a nuisance as well. The humanoid soldiers were using Enfield rifles and M16 assault rifles. They were giving off quite a barrage, their bullets cutting across the empty spaces of the room, landing on the upturned tables. But, every now and then when they attempted to show themselves, they would eventually be hit by one of Carmelita's shock pistol blasts or the pellets of Videl's accurate shot gun.

Sly, Gohan, Murray and Bentley meanwhile were fighting it all out in the middle of the room in between Carmelita, Videl and the miner soldiers. Fortunately, the four of them were quite immune to bullets as the soldiers were busying sniping, as well as Videl and Carmelita and had little to fear. Fighting on their own in close quarter combat and hitting anything that approaches them, they were all making short work of the miners and the people who approached them.

From Murray's perspective, he was doing a fine job sorting out his opponents. Right now, he was overpowered by two dingoes and two kangaroos as they were all throwing everything they had at him. He did little to avoid the blows and easily took them, approaching the dingo in front of him with his guard up and hammering the guy across the face with a well placed hook. When a kangaroo guard attempted to grab his shoulders and toss him over, Murray sent an elbow into the guys gut, knocking the wind out of him before spinning around and sending another hook elbow across the kangaroo's face. This blow sent the guy falling to the side and turning into another mat for the fighters to walk over. The dingo circulated around Murray and, tightening his whip in his hands, threw it back before sending it forward, the knob end soaring through the air straight for Murray's face. While Murray had the kangaroo guys firmly caught in his grip as he had the guy by the throat, he suddenly sensed the attack coming from behind and while his left hand was raised to pummel the guy was throttling, Murray spun around to look behind him and grabbed the whip flying through the air. The whip coiled around him and the guard attempted to yank it out of his hand. However, before he could even though he wouldn't be able to, Murray suddenly pulled him forward and with the same hand he held the end of the whip in, he jabbed out with it, knocking the guy's teeth out as well as out of the conscious world. The guy fell over like a ton of bricks.

Murray smiled as the sounds of fighting and brawling echoed all around him. This boiled his blood and spurred him on even more to continue. With the death defying gun fight, the grunts and sounds of punches from both the miners and his friends, the howls and screams of agony, it was like what he always dreamed of. It was outrageous, he had never been in such close quarter fighting like this and from 'the Murray's' perspective, he was having the time of his life. The hippo grinned before finishing the kangaroo guard he held in his hand by sending a devastating blow to his face.

"Oh yeah! Feel the powerful wrath of 'the Murray'. I shall not be trifled with", he yelled. The Kangaroo slumped to the floor with a bloodied up and bruised face with the Murray stepping over him to handle another two dingoes running at him from the back way entrance to the bar, whips at the ready and fang bared. Sly and Gohan, who were holding two guys up by the collars with their right hands and their left fists held back, saw Murray take on the two dingoes in an almost wrestling like match, breaking one guy's leg and pummeling another guy in the face. Though gruesome as it was, was an amazing sight. Gohan grinned before smashing the guy he held off the ground, sending him careering into the wall and creating another wall mark and imprint. The guy fell to the ground dead.

"Well struck Murray", called Gohan, ducking a whip sent by a dingo before standing back up and sending a ki blast directly at the guy who attacked him, punching a while right through his chest and sending him into the bar where he crashed into the shelves before falling back to the ground and disappearing beyond his sight. Sly nodded in agreement and went on to punch the dingo he held in his hand, smacking him across the face and stomach even though the guy had lost consciousness a long time ago.

"Nice work big guy", exclaimed Sly before he spun the guy around and tossed him into two thugs surrounding Bentley. The two guys were knocked over and buried under the weight of the guy who was on top of them. Sly, seeing Bentley taking on another two guys called out to him before two kangaroos and another dingo came up to him from behind where he had to dispense with them. "How are you holding up Bentley?!"

"I'm fine Sly, watch your back", replied Bentley, sweating slightly as he kicked his wheelchair into action. Fortunately, his wheelchair had an extraordinary way of attacking and unleashing a hell of a lot of surprising attacks. Even though Bentley lacked in the physical area, his technology and brains definitely made up for it. For starters, whenever he needed to jump, all he had to do was jump with his seat as his wheels were built with springs, enabling him to jump to heights impossible for a normal person. Another thing was that whenever he wanted to excel to another height in a double jump move, all he had to do was hit the rocket boosters that propelled him upwards. Another handy thing was, the joysticks he used were equipped two boxing gloves on steel extenders. By using this, he was able to throw strong punches at quite far distances, allowing him to attack without even using his own fists, they were incredible. Also, whenever he was surrounded and needed to go into a full on attack, his seat had side boosters that popped out of the wheels and spun the seat in full 360, very sharply and very strongly, allowing Bentley to take out a guard with ease.

By now, Bentley had disposed of a lot of thugs. The two dingoes in front of him were met with painful blows to the gut, chest and face as Bentley pushed his joysticks into action. These joysticks were extended as well, able to be pulled up out of the arm rests and used with great efficiency; they were made to Bentley's arm lengths. It sort of resembled those joy sticks used in the APU's in Matrix revolutions but these were far more flexible. The gloves, though soft, were hard underneath because of the steel fists Bentley had installed. They delivered a mind boggling punch and could send anyone into unconsciousness. These glove extenders came up and out of the arm rests, as if they could inflate and deflate to different sizes. After sending upper cuts into the two dingo's he was hammering at, Bentley pulled back his right fist and sent a hook straight across the two' hitting them in the face with two resounding thuds occurring.

After seeing the two fall Bentley sensed another competitor behind him and, before the kangaroo guy behind him could throw one of his kicks, Bentley sent a hammer blow behind him with his right glove, smacking them guy in the face and knocking him back, as well as out cold. The turtle grinned and, spinning his chair around, pulled both his hands up, controlling the gloves and holding them in defense. His chair seemed to be moving in tone with his mind and was certainly proving to be a vital element to the turtle's advantage. Seeing another dingo coming up to him who sent a whip slash directly at him, the turtle blocked it by merely raising one of the extended fists. The dingo continued circulating around him, attacking with slashes and whip attacks whenever possible. Bentley would usually side step a number of the attacks and come back with punches of his own but would mostly block them. When the guard was preparing to unleash another attack, Bentley came in with a jab to the guys face, knocking him senseless. However, before Bentley could finish him, another dingo came up behind him. Wrapping his arms around the turtle's neck, he started to strangle him and Bentley tried to pry the arms off by grinding his chin and teeth into the guy's hands. But seeing no effect to that, Bentley pressed a button on his arm rest and suddenly, one of his rockets ignited behind him, burning the guy at the waste down.

The dingo he hit howled in pain and attempted to put the fire out, but before long, he was suddenly hooked across the face by Bentley who spun around after dealing with the guy in front of him. Both his opponents were floored in seconds. Seeing more guards, miners and soldiers enter the barn, the turtle growled and glanced over at Gohan and Sly, seeing them take on an entire group of miners singe handedly. Murray was wrestling another dingo to the ground, knee digging into the guys back and hands twisted behind him. "This is tense, are you guys alright", asked Bentley, raising his hands and ducking another whip strike by one of the miners.

"We're fine Bentley", said Gohan, blocking a punch from one of the kangaroo's in front of him and grabbing his wrist. Yanking the guy forward, he sent an elbow across the guy's face before spinning him around and kicking him in the tale, sending the guy flying into the two dingoes in also fighting him. The guy he hit fell dead on the floor while the dingoes attempted to get up. The other kangaroo fighting him was free to engage and began lashing out at Gohan with swift, strong punches. Gohan, retaining his fighting stance blocked all the punches with one hand, dodging a couple of kicks before sending another punch to the guys gut, knocking him out with a couple of knees and letting him fall so he was free to take on the dingoes. Swinging himself around a couple of bodies at his feet as well as avoiding a straight punch thrown by one of the miners he was fighting, Gohan quickly sent a hook across the guys face then an elbow with the same left side, knocking the guy out or perhaps breaking the guys neck. Whatever the case, he was out.

When that guy was dealt with, Gohan turned to the other guy, avoiding the whip attack sent at him. When he ducked to avoid it, Gohan sent a low right kick to the guy's legs, hitting him hard enough to hurt him before standing back up and sending another two round house kicks at the guys face. The first one came from the same right kick and when he passed the guy with his foot still going in an anti-clockwise motion, Gohan came back by sending a left roundhouse kick to the guy. The knocked the guy spinning through the air before he fell to the ground unconscious. Sly saw this while he was taking on a kangaroo and a dingo, his cane held firmly in his right hand a serious fight expression on his face. Seeing Gohan take down those dingoes before engaging another three of them by swiftly moving into the circle and begin effortlessly dodging attacks and returning them, the raccoon smirked.

"Stick it to them Gohan", shouted Sly. Bentley, having disposed with another kangaroo by chopping at the guy's neck and sending one or two upper cuts to the guys gut, turned to Gohan and cheered, fisting his hands before returning to another brawl with another dingo.

"Nice shot Gohan!!" the turtle encouraged, sending a misguided punch to his opponent's face.

Sly smirked as he continuously and effortlessly dodged the whips and punches thrown by the two miners he was engaging. Using his thief like reflexes, he was able to see things most people couldn't, thus enable the raccoon to see in almost complete and utter slow motion. Ducking under a punch thrown by a kangaroo, Sly pulled back the cane in his right hand and, gripping it in two hands, charged an attack. The end of his hook glowed gold for a second and, just as the kangaroo was about to attack, Sly sent his hook forward, jabbing the guy in the gut before bringing it up to the guy's chin in an upper cut motion. The guy was hit severely and was knocked unconscious.

Ducking low to avoid a hook thrown by the dingo behind him, Sly spun around with his cane still gripped in two hands and attacked. While spinning around, Sly sent the hook directly into the side of the unguarded dingo behind him, hitting the guy hard and perhaps breaking a few ribs. The miner howled in agony before being silenced by an elbow sent by the raccoon as Sly shot at him and attacked at close quarters. The guy was on the floor with the other guys soon enough. With those two disposed, Sly turned to dispose with a couple more kangaroos, seeing them hopping towards him with their hands fisted and held up in boxing defenses. Sly met them half way and, pulling his cane back with his right hand struck out at them with slash attacks. The raccoon hit them hard across the gut and chest, sending them back. They jumped back to their feet soon enough and reengaged the raccoon in another fight, circulating around him. Sly however was far more cunning and smarter then that though.

Leaping into the air, the raccoon gripped hold of the light dangling down from the roof and, swinging forward, sent a straight kick into one guys face. The kangaroo was knocked senseless from the hit but before he was able to fall backwards from the force of the blow, Sly sent a quick roundhouse kick with his right foot across the guy's face again while still suspended in mid air and hooked on. The guy fell over sideways and unconscious and just as the kangaroo was making a grab for Sly, Sly swung back and released. Spinning through the air, Sly landed away from his opponent before rushing forward like a bullet and sending a punch directly at the guy's face, knocking him back and unconscious. Smirking, the raccoon left to engage another dingo making its way around Bentley who was busy dealing with two other dingoes.

Meanwhile, while all this fighting was going on, Carmelita and Videl were still pinned behind the upturned tables. They could see the fighting going n between the boys and the miners and right now were growing steadily frustrated. That bar tender and few soldiers were becoming an annoyance and they wanted to get into the fight more over as well rather then hold off these guys. While ducking behind their table again, they looked over at each other. Carmelita, who had her shock pistol in hand nodded to her right while Videl, who was on Carmelita's left nodded towards the bar.

"You hold off those soldiers and lay down suppressing fire while I take care of that asshole behind the table", said Videl. Carmelita nodded.

"Agreed partner. Ready?!" replied Carmelita, pulling back the hammer on her weapon. Videl nodded in return and, after reloading her shot gun and throwing it into the holster on her back, pulled out one of her Desert Eagles, loading it.

"Ready", Videl replied. Carmelita smiled.

"On three… one… two… THREE", she shouted. Together, the two of them ran their separate ways and, wheeling back into the fight, sent suppressing fire in the direction of their targets. The soldiers and spot light guards immediately ducked behind the tables they were hiding behind and the bar tender did the same. Videl laid off continuous rounds with the pistol in her left hand and after making it off the stage, jumped onto the bar and ran across it, continuing to fire directly at the tables in front of her. Carmelita had to sprint through the fight the boys and the miners were engaging in, at the same time fire at the tables as she ran to the other end of the room. To her far left on the bar end of the tavern, she saw Videl running alongside at the same speed across the bar desk itself. The two of them worked exceptionally well and performed this in sync.

When Videl reached the end of the desk, she had already emptied her pistol but quickly made up for it by reaching behind her and grabbing her shot gun. Stopping above the cowering bar tender, she pulled her shot gun out and pointed it at him while holding it in one hand. When the guy looked up, he was immediately met with the muzzle of the heavy weapon. The last thing he saw was a bright flash and the sound of a loud gun shot. His body keeled over backwards and slumped to the floor on his back, gun falling from his grip. Videl raised her smoking weapon and blew on it before dropping from the desk and holstering her Desert Eagle. Pulling her shot gun up and back into actions, Videl started walking sideways and into the fight itself, at the same time peppering shots away at the upturned tables the soldiers and spot light guards were hiding behind. A couple of shots and a couple of careless soldiers were struck. By this time, Carmelita was already at there end and finishing off the spot light guards and shocked soldiers.

As soon as she had emptied her weapon, Videl flung it onto her back right away and, seeing Bentley in need of assistance as he was surrounded by five miners consisting of dingoes and kangaroos, the girl sprinted into action. Aiming for one of the kangaroos behind Bentley, the raven haired girl grabbed the guy's shoulder, spun him around to look at her before nailing him across the face with a swift hook and elbow. The guy fell over unconscious as Videl dropped into her fighting stance, catching the attention of two dingoes.

"Come on, lets have it", shouted Videl. The two dingoes she managed to get a hold off howled and charged at her, whips at the ready. Videl smirked and just as the two reached her, she leapt into the air. The miners looked up, following the girl with their eyes only to get hit when the girl spun through the air and sent a roundhouse kick across the faces using her right foot. She had to spin around the gain the strength and momentum as she had to do to pivot on the ground to gain the same strength with an ordinary kick. The guys were shocked, and just as they were staggering backwards, Videl landed and ran forward, sending a powerful jab at the guy to her right and a right elbow across the guy to her left. Both of them tripped over the bodies of their mates before hitting the ground, out cold. Videl smirked and spun around, sending a well placed side kick into the chest of an attacking kangaroo. When Gohan saw Videl enter the fray and start engaging three miners, he smirked, ducking underneath another failed whip attempt from the guy he was fighting before kicking the guy, sending him hurling through the air before he crashed into the stage.

"Go Videl, nicely played", shouted Gohan. Videl smiled, grabbing a punch thrown by a dingo and yanking the guy forward, sending a right upper cut into the guys gut and pushing him back.

"Thanks Gohan!" shouted Videl, grunting as she threw a strong right punch directly in the face of the guy she had just assaulted before moving onto the other two miners circulating her. Murray grinned, sending a powerful hook across a dingoes face and clothes lining a kangaroo who had decided to charge him down.

"Your on fire today Videl! YEAH!" yelled Murray, blocking a punch from one of the kangaroo guys and returning it with a well placed elbow of his own. Bentley heard this, and with the continuous outpour of miners and guards onto the bar's turf, continued brawling. Ducking and avoiding a couple of attacks thrown by a pair of dingoes working together to bring him down, Bentley pushed forward and sent a single hook across both their face before coming in with a left jab to the guy on his left, knocking him flying back.

"Nice going Videl. Way to put a number on the soldiers", yelled Bentley, pointing out the dead spot light guards and mercenary military personnel behind the upturned tables lying dead in their own blood. At the same time, the turtle avoided a whip throw from the valiant dingo in front of him. The dingo in fact ended up hitting the kangaroo making its way up behind Bentley. The guy let out a scream and staggered backwards, gripping his pained face.

Videl nodded, ducking and backing away from a couple of punches and hooks thrown by the dingo she was engaging in front of her before she returned and sent a good left knee up into the guys chin before coming down with the same leg onto his head with an axe kick. She knocked the guy away with a quick right roundhouse kick. "Thanks guys. How are you doing Carmelita", asked Videl.

Carmelita, now taking on three dingo goons was actually doing splendidly. Her combat experience was still fresh in her and she hasn't forgotten about the rules of fighting just yet. Grabbing the wrist of the dingo that was in her sights, she twisted it sharply, breaking it and earning a pained howl from her opponent. Pulling him forward, she used him as a human shield from the dingo behind her who was sending a kick that was supposed to be at Carmelita's back. Unfortunately he ended up hitting his friend in the chest, knocking the wind out of the unfortunate worker. With the guy pinned in front of her, Carmelita drew her shock pistol from her holster and fired two rounds into the two dingoes in front of her, killing them both with the two of them being sent hurling back through the air from the force of the blasts. When they were disposed with Carmelita pushed the guy forward, at the same time turning him around. When the guy turned to face her, Carmelita spun on the spot, pivoting on her left foot before sending a powerful backwards round house kick across the guys face. He was knocked falling to the side and almost dead.

When the vixen heard her friend call to her, at the same time she started fighting off against two more competitors, she replied, grabbing the kangaroo's large foot that had been thrown at her in a kick. "I'm fine Videl! Just great! Nice work with the bartender", replied the vixen with a smirk, twisting the kangaroo's foot and spinning the guy. The miner fell to the floor in agony, letting out a grunt when Carmelita jumped on him before she jumped into the air, as if using him as a trampoline so to gain extra height in the air and send a good right kick into the dingo's face she was battling with as well.

"Thanks", replied Videl, grabbing a terrible punch thrown by a kangaroos from behind her. While gripping hold of it with her other hand, she suddenly spun around, pulling the guy forward. With her back against the guys arm and her left hand gripping his wrist, she reached into her holster, drew her other Desert Eagle and hammered rounds into two dingoes just coming in through the doors. The two guys met with a barrage of bullets before falling dead. With those guys dealt with, Videl quickly holstered her weapon and worked her way back to where she held the guy before. When she was back in front of the kangaroos she had grabbed, she sent a right chop at his neck a couple of times then a elbow with the same arm both ways across his face then a final right hook, knocking the guy out and sending him falling backwards. This attack was initiated without flaw and ended up in a perfect finish.

The fight in the bar continued on for what seemed like hours but were indeed minutes. Because the Cooper gang members had reflexes, strength and agility beyond any other person in the world, everything seemed to be dragging on for a long time. As well as that, the guards and miners continued pouring into the bar, all of them willing to engage the gang in the brawl. However, with every guard that confronted any member of the Cooper gang, they were met with pain and soon a new darkened world. Groups and individuals were dispensed with easily and quickly and within moments, the guards had just lost it. The last guys to come in were a pair of dingoes, all of them watching the defeat of their comrades and mates and were then brought into the fray. They battled valiantly against Sly and Gohan but failed miserably.

By the time all the miners and workers were done away with, the gang gathered in the centre of the bar in an area where there weren't many bodies littering the place. Together, they all let out a triumphant cheer when they saw that the miners were defeated. Murray roared the loudest, tensing his biceps and flexing them before returning his fists to his sides.

"YEEESSSS!! The Cooper gang rules the roost. We're the king's of the hill, the totally maxed out, undisputed and undefeated, heavy weight champions!" exclaimed the hippo, doing one of his famous poses. Gohan, Sly, Carmelita and Videl chuckled at Murray's performance while Bentley crossed his arms and shook his head as if he was disappointed. But it was clear that he was thoroughly amused. He may be sweaty and tired from the fight, but he was certainly satisfied with the work they have accomplished.

"Those guys won't be showing up here anytime soon", said Sly. Videl and Carmelita grinned and high fived each other then a low five, exclaiming their success together.

"Yes!! Well done Carm", Videl congratulated. Carmelita smiled at her friend and nodded.

"You too Videl. You did great", replied the vixen. Sly and Gohan smirked at each other and looked down at their girl's and friends.

"You all did great", Sly spoke up.

"There is no denying that all of you have contributed and played your part in this brawl. Well done", said Gohan. "It is clear now that nobody would want to stay on these grounds for long!"

Suddenly, the gang heard a loud bang and a howl coming from in front of them. In their shock, they all turned to the entrance to the bar to see what was making such a racket. It was in fact the bar doors themselves that had made that loud banging noise and the person who was responsible for that howl was another miner dingo. However, this guy was different. He was not a spot light guard or any ordinary soldier; he was basically a miner only five times bigger and far more aggressive. Standing in the doorway with the doors shattered from his entrance, the giant, oversized dingo was sniffling and twitching rather feverishly. He still wore the green vest and jeans, but he was also wearing something more.

Bentley gulped and pointed the guy out. "Umm guys… I think the miners have saved the big guy for last", said the turtle nervously. Sly and Gohan were shocked while Videl was busily pulling out her shot gun. Carmelita had her shock pistol out and was glaring at the giant dingo while Murray was looking at the guy oddly. When he noticed what the dingo was wearing on his face, he gulped. Pointing a shaking hand up at the guy, Murray turned to his friends.

"He's wearing that dark spirit mask thingy! He must be so jacked!!" shouted Murray. The rest of the gang noticed the mask too and they were indeed surprised. The guy was twitching and moving about for many reasons and despite his size, was moving pretty quickly. He was sniffing the air and his ears were perking up every now and then. The mask he wore was golden in color and had feathers on it. It also had symbols and carvings all over its surface and resembled a mask almost like the guys back in Venice but was far bigger and was glowing in some purple aura. This was certainly not good.

The dingo it was attached to was hyperactive and super energetic, explaining why he was moving and twitching like the way he was. He was also bigger then the ordinary miner guards but wielded no whip or anything else. His form and size was also something else to question. At this point, he was built like a Legendary Super Saiyan Broly, his muscles bulging but his form was far larger then even Broly. He stood twice as high as Gohan and from what the young Saiyan could sense his ki level was dramatically and dangerously high. He had never sensed such raw, evil energy before.

The dingo let out a tremendous, lung booming howl, the echo of it shaking the earth and tavern. The ceiling rustled, dust falling from the cracks and emplacements in the solid wood work. Gohan had to cover his ears from the howl, but as soon as the vibrating stopped, the young Saiyan glared up at the dingo with eyes crossed angrily and teeth clenched in aggravation. He saw the dingo huffing as it stared down at the troop, steam issuing from his nostrils every time he breathed. When he was done huffing, the hound pointed at them and grinned. "Yasshuta Ies ned ton landarak checkus zekus!! GRRAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!" howled the dingo.

Murray glanced over at Videl and Sly. "What did that guy say", asked the hippo. Videl and Sly turned to the hippo and shrugged, their expressions puzzled just like everyone else's except Gohan's whose was still portrayed as serious and anger.

"Don't know", replied Sly.

Gohan at this point had just about enough. Stepping in front of his friends and pushing them back lightly; the young Saiyan drew one of his swords from behind him and held it up in defense, his form dropped into a fighting stance. His eyes remained locked on the dingo glaring down at them in front of him. "Get back guys, I'll handle him", Gohan said.

After seeing the dingo bare its fangs menacingly, the gang behind Gohan backed up at a safe, distance, avoiding the bodies lying on the floor. They certainly did not want to get involved in another fight, especially when it concerned a being wearing a dark entity of power that increased his strengths far beyond there own. They had to trust Gohan's judgment on this one and did not ask any questions. The important thing at this time was to stay alive and see what would happen next.

Sensing his friends back up, Gohan drew his second sword with the sound of a sharp slice. Just as Gohan drew his secondary weapon the dingo stomped up to him and, overshadowing the young warrior beneath him, cranked back his right fist behind and over him before bringing it down at great speeds towards his opponent. The giant fist however collided with the ground when Gohan leapt back and out of the way. The punch struck the ground with great force, creating a shock wave and a small crater in the ground where his fist lay embedded. A loud sonic boom was also heard and the gang stepping back into the corner cringed at the sound and sight. Gohan clenched his teeth, his eyes widened in shock but still dropped into a fighting stance. He was certainly not expecting that and became truly aware of the danger he and his friends were in. This guy was certainly packing some serious heat and was now on a rampage through the bar.

When the dingo noticed his opponent had moved, he dug his left knee into the ground and with great effort, pulled his fist free. Looking up, the dingo clenched his fists tightly, his biceps and other muscles bulging as his teeth bore in malice. With a bark, the dingo leapt at Gohan with amazing strength and speed, his form blurring before remerging and solidifying directly in front of Gohan. Again, the dingo reared back and sent a left hook straight down at Gohan, only to strike the young Saiyan's sword blade when the black haired warrior held it up to block it. No powerful effects were made and the fight continued. Gohan stepped back and raised his other sword, only to turn it over and grip the handle differently and contacting his fist against the dingoes right fist when it came soaring out of no where. A shock wave definitely followed that one and as soon as their fists made contact, the dingo and Gohan pulled their fists away from each other and once again, the dingo attacked.

Gohan had to side step to his right to avoid a left strike from the dingo when the goon came in with a slash attack, his claws digging into the floor boards and sticking him to it. This was the mistake Gohan was looking for and the weakness in the muscle bound dingo's attacks. Using the element to his advantage, Gohan spun around in his side step and quickly slashed his blades across the exposed skin of the dingo's neck, his blades cutting straight across him. However, when the dingo let out a howl of pain and Gohan spun his swords back up into proper grips, the young Saiyan was shocked when he saw that his slashes had left very thin scars, not the deep one's they should have left. It was like scratching the guy. His skin was as hard as steel itself.

When the dingo shook his head, he glared up at his opponent beside him and, with his left hand still stuck in the ground, he let out a agonized and angered growl before pulling it free, and swinging it straight at Gohan, hitting him in the chest. Gohan grunted in shock and from the force of the blow as he was sent into the wall on the far length side of the tavern. The young Saiyan crashed into the wall before falling from it and hitting the solid ground below. After the young Saiyan had landed and was buried under a dust cloud, the mask wearing dingo miner leapt to his feet again, unclenching his fists and baring his sharp claws, teeth clenched and bared in malice as he glared into the area where Gohan had fallen. The gang watched on with eagerness and nervousness while Videl looked on with worry, her eyes wavering almost on the edge of tears. She didn't want to see Gohan get hurt and was concerned for his safety.

After a few seconds of lying in the piles of wrecked tables, chairs and stacks of bodies, Gohan emerged a second later, swords still grasped in his hands and body slumped over. He shook his head and opened his tightly shut eyes, looking back up and at the man who had hit him. He saw the dingo take a couple of steps towards him, arms out with claws bared and legs spread out for balance. The dingo looked quite intimidating, but Gohan wasn't worried. Bruises, cuts and dirt now added new scars to his gi and body as he pulled himself out of his predicament, but despite these minor wounds, he was still battle ready. When he was out of the mess he was thrown into, the young Saiyan jumped and charged at his opponent, right sword cranked back in attack and left sword held out for defense.

In return, the dingo stepped forward to, holding his right fist back and preparing to send it at his opponent. He did so just when Gohan reached him. But to his misfortune, the miner missed and ended up hitting air. He missed because Gohan was sprinting directly passed him and, using the right sword he had cranked back in his run as he ran passed the miner at the guy's right side, the young Saiyan struck across him, bringing his sword forward and across in a powerful slash attack. Though the attack didn't do much, it did make the dingo growl on discomfort and send him staggering forward a bit from the blow to the side. But when Gohan passed him, he stopped behind his opponent and spun around, swords up and in his symbolic fighting stance. The dingo miner also turned around but in a clockwise motion and by doing so, pulled his right hand over his left shoulder before swinging it out at his opponent. Gohan ducked that and stepped towards his opponent, pulling back his right sword and slashing up and across at the dingo. Unfortunately, the giant hound bloked the blade strike by holding up his left arm over his chest, deflecting the blade and neutralizing the effects of the attack. All that occurred was a loud slice sound and a grunt of aggravation from Gohan. When that attack failed, Gohan pulled his right sword back and stabbed up at the guard's other peg with a left forward sword strike. The guard knocked Gohan's attack away by parrying the blade of the sword away with his left palm. Once again Gohan's attack had failed him.

When he saw the young Saiyan step backwards and drop into a defensive stance, clearly at his mercy because of his superior strength, the dingo put both his hands together into a hammer and brought it up above his head. In a chopping motion, he brought his fists down in a jackhammer attack, sending it into his opponent's head or where it should have been. Gohan saw this though when the miner slowly strengthened and formulated the move and was able to super speed out of the way, easily sliding under the miner's unguarded left side and out of the way. The miner struck the ground again, causing a large shock wave and forming another huge crater in the tavern's floor.

Quickly recovering, the miner pulled his hands out of the ground and spun around, raising his fists in a threatening manner towards his opponent who stood behind him in his fighting stance. Gohan at this point had his legs firmly spread out to even his weight and his left arm extended to his side and downwards and right hand holding his sword behind his head. It was a peculiar stance but one that suited his purposes well. But it wouldn't serve him much good at the moment because it was the dingo who attacked first. Stepping forward, the dingo began throwing punches, hooks, upper cuts and other attacks which Gohan avoided or blocked easily. The punches, though strong and powerful were slow. The guy's muscles were too bulky and prevented a lot of free movement to be performed. It was the same weakness Trunks had when he fought against Cell. However, just because the guy was slow didn't mean he lacked endurance and the ability to cause a lot of damage. Gohan had to back off with each attack the guy threw, moving his swords round to be able to block the blows or put them into the right position to avoid the attacks. The young Saiyan quickly grew tired and frustrated at his inability to attack and so started to plot a way of beating the guy.

His thoughts were stopped however when he was suddenly backed up against the wall and he growled lowly in worry and displeasure. The dingo though continued attacking forward and with a powerful punch, sent his right fist into Gohan's face, only to hit the wall when the young Saiyan side stepped it quickly to avoid it. The blow left a small crater, caused a shock wave and ironically left the guy's fist embedded in the wall as it did with the floor in the past. Gohan thought wrongly though when the guy suddenly yanked his fist quickly out of its place and grabbed Gohan by the gi. The young Saiyan yelled in shock when he was suddenly pulled towards the guy before being sent into the wall when the guy pushed him into it. Gohan screamed in agony when he hit the wall, his body digging into it to form a large man sized hole. This was where he lay limp, arms falling to his sides and swords falling out of his hands. Before Gohan had time to look up, the dingo had pulled back his left fist and sent it into his stomach, a loud thud and shock wave following the impact of the blow to his stomach.

Gohan did not react well to this and instead of screaming as he was denied of it because of the wind being knocked out of him, coughed up blood and spit. Before the red drops good hit his chest, he was suddenly hammered across the face with the same left fist but in a hook, more spit flying free from his mouth when he was knocked to the side. The dingo kept him where he was, embedded in the wall with his right hand firmly gripping on the young Saiyan's shoulder and pushing him into the wall while he pummeled him with his left fist. More shock waves followed when the dingo continued driving painful blows into his victim, a grin on the hounds face as he did so. Punches to the gut, chest and face were to follow and Gohan was starting to lose consciousness. All the while, his thoughts of what this guy would do to his friends kept him conscious.

Glaring up at the dingo with blood dripping from his lips and an angered scowl on his bruised face, the young Saiyan growled. _"I can't… I can't let it end this way!! Not now! I will not lose!!"_ Gohan thought hotly before getting pounded in the gut again, making him choke and cough up spit. When the guy pulled his fist back, Gohan glanced over at his friends, seeing them standing their helplessly on the far side of the room, watching with fear, anger, frustration and sadness. The look on Videl's face caught Gohan's attention, and when he saw tears in her eyes, it suddenly brought him into reality. He could not lose now, not when his whole life and meaning was at risk. He had to end this!

Glaring back at the dingo who was bringing his left fist back and preparing to punch him again, Gohan brought himself back into the fight. With the guy's right hand now pressed against his chest, Gohan pulled his hands up and sent a chop into the guy's arm, knocking it free and dropping to the ground, just as the dingo's punch struck the wall where his face was supposed to be. Shocked, the dingo didn't realize Gohan get back to his feet and jump up at him where his arms weren't there to guard him.

Letting out a yell, Gohan pulled his right fist back and sent a upper cut into the guy's chin, smacking him hard and sending the guy staggering backwards uncontrollably. He was only able to stop when he hit the still standing bar stool, his weight almost crushing it beneath him. When Gohan landed, feet spread to shoulder length apart and arms fisted at his sides, the young Saiyan focused his best death glare at the giant dingo and yelled though his teeth. At that same time, Gohan powered up and in a flash, a golden aura burst around him and his hair flash gold. The young warrior reached his Super Saiyan form instantly, his eyes now glowing teal under the waves of his golden energy. His transformation had left a small crater beneath his feet as its explosive occurrence was quite immense.

"THAT'S IT! I'll finish this", yelled Gohan. The Cooper gang was quite shocked at these turn of events, but out of all of them, Videl was the brightest now. Seeing Gohan transform made her smile and she cheered.

"Go Gohan!!"

With his opponent all in shock, Gohan flew forward, propelling himself through the air using his flight technique and, when he reached the dingo, he pounded the guy. Sending a right punch directly across the guys face, he knocked him staggering back, crushing the bar under his feet and hitting the shelves behind him. When the guy was imprinted in the wall, Gohan continued his assault. Dropping to the ground, Gohan sent a left jab into the guy's gut, hitting him hard before bringing his right up into the guy's chest in an upper cut. Just like the miner had done before, Gohan repeated with a similar assault, pounding the guy into the wall and inflicting as much pain and damage as he could on his opponent. He could tell for with each resounding shock wave from the blows that made contact with his victim, he could hear the dingo cough, choke and howl with pain. This prompted Gohan to continue.

His attacks shook the entire house, almost toppling it over from the force of his attacks. However, when Gohan figured the guy had enough, he leapt into the air to the guy's height, and just as the dingo looked up at him with blood leaking out of the corners of his mouth, Gohan threw a right roundhouse kick across his face, knocking his teeth out ad knocking him unconscious. The blow was tremendous and the shock wave that followed issued a loud sonic boom to echo all around. As if in slow motion, the dingo toppled to the side, bringing the shelves behind him down on top of him as he fell flat onto his stomach face first into the dirt, dust hurling into the air from his fall. When the thud from his landing ended, it was over.

Hovering in the air with his aura glowing all around him, Gohan glared down at the dingo lying on the ground. He had managed to floor the guy, and when he saw that he was unconscious, powered down, his aura dying own and his form returning to its original state and color. With the fall of his energy, he landed on the ground and, letting out a breath of air, turned to his friends standing on the side lines. Seeing their shocked expressions, he smiled and gave them the thumbs up, indicating that he was finished. Upon seeing their friend throw them that triumphant sign, the gang lit up with cheers and applause, the whole lot of them rushing over to congratulate him.

Videl was the first to reach him and encased the young Saiyan in a tight hug, holding him close. Gohan, though was very sore from his fight returned the hug before being bombarded by his friends. Sly gave him a pat on the back as Videl slowly released Gohan from her grip but kept her arms around his neck and her body pressed against him. Gohan winced from being hit on the back but smiled nonetheless and turned to the raccoon.

"Way to go Gohan, you surely gave that guy something to think about", said Sly. Murray grinned and pounded his fists together before raising one of them in success.

"Yeah Gohan! That was like totally awesome! Radical and outrageously dangerous to the max", cheered the hippo. Carmelita nodded to Gohan with a smile, placing her hands on her hips and looking over the young warrior, clearly impressed.

"I see you still haven't lost your touch after all these months. Nice going", she exclaimed. Bentley was also singing his praises and was jumping for joy in his seat.

"Strong work Gohan! Excellent I should say. This mission turned out to be a success after all… GAH! LOOK! T-the mask", shouted Bentley, suddenly pointing over Gohan's shoulder. Because, Gohan and Sly had their backs turned because they were standing side by side, they had to spin around and turn their attention in the direction where Bentley was pointing, which was at a height somewhere at the top of the half destroyed shelves. When they saw the thing Bentley was pointing at, they gasped in shock, hearing the same breaths of surprise from the rest of the gang.

Floating several meters of the ground behind them was the Mask of Dark Earth, its soulless eyes glaring down at them and its purple aura surrounding it glowing intensely. It was making a strange mumbling sound as it glared down at the group and was currently trembling with what looked to be rage. However, when it saw that it was clearly outmatched here it suddenly turned and made a break for the exit, floating at a very slow speed towards the double doors.

Sly pointed at it in shock. "The Mask! It's getting away?!"

Murray gulped. "But how can it?! I wish mine could!"

Though most of the gang questioned this, it certainly did not sit well with most of the gang members. Immediately after seeing the mask start to float away, Carmelita took aim with her shock pistol, her left eye shut and right eye looking down the length of her weapon. When she caught it in her sights, she smirked and fired, the blue bolt of electrical energy soaring through the air before hitting the mask in the back. The bolt electrified the Mask, forcing it to turn around. When it did, it let out a loud rumble before charging at the ground, purple aura glowing bright but accompanied by blue electrical sparks from Carmelita's pistol.

When Videl saw it, she pulled out her Desert Eagle and, joining Carmelita at her side began hammering away at it with deadly shots. All the shots struck the mask, punching holes through it or burning it. However, no matter what they did, it continued approaching them. It was only when Gohan stepped in between the mask and the two women did he manage to stop it. Holding up his right hand, Gohan powered up a high powered ki blast and, with little effort sent it directly at the Mask. The impact immediately engulfed the mask in a ball of golden fire as the blue ki blast consumed it. In a small explosion that sent burning sparks everywhere, the mask was gone. With its solid form gone, purple shiny particles floated into the air before vanishing and all that remained of the ask was instantly extinguished.

Lowering their weapons, Carmelita and Videl breathed a sigh of relief while Gohan glanced behind him and smiled, lowering his arm. Murray, Sly and Bentley were a little shocked and a bit shaken from that sudden attempted attack by the mask but were inwardly relieved. Murray gulped silently and nodded to Gohan. "T-That was a little…weird", said Murray. Bentley nodded in agreement just as Videl and Carmelita turned towards the rest of the gang with Gohan joining their circle seconds later.

"I agree…maybe its time we head off. What do you say guys", suggested the turtle. The entire gang nodded to the turtle's suggestion and not needing to be told twice, the gang rushed out the front doors of the bar. Within seconds, they were all out of there, leaving the tavern in its rotten and battle torn state. There was going to be a hell of a lot of clearing up to do.

* * *

_**Sly's thoughts…**_

"The events that had occurred not long ago were a bit off track and a bit dramatic I should say, but eventually the gang had accomplished the impossible. Within the minutes of our entrance to the lemonade bar, we had taken down the entire working muscle of the mining colony here, and with most of them badly hurt, we knew that they would be out of here by day break. Sometimes to achieve the things you want, you not only have to rely on yourself, but of the confidence and strengths of your friends. By working together, we managed to beat back the miners and teach them a lesson they will never forget."

"By the time we had left the tavern, the first thing that hit us was the silence that prevailed. It was clear that all the mining equipment and machines have been switched off, and we discovered to our shock that the whole place was deserted. This of course gave us easy passage back to the safe house where the Guru was surely waiting for us. And indeed he was, and when he heard about the Mask of Dark Earth's destruction he was absolutely thrilled. Finally, he was relieved of the duties to protect the mask and in the absence of this, he was able to breathe freely. But after that little heart warmer, we sat around the lounge room of the safe house throughout the night. While Gohan took the double couch with Videl there to help clear his wounds and injuries, the rest of the gang scattered. We sat where we were for hours on end, talking. It was until Carmelita found her old Interpol camera did something really start to become more enjoyable."

"Her camera proved to be a real source of entertainment as we each took turns posing. If Interpol ever showed up too late, then we didn't want them to go home 'empty handed'. We all had a good time, even the Guru as we passed around jokes, made impressions… it was all a good laugh. We only fell asleep at around midnight."

"Morning broke, and we got a clear shot of the landscape. It was beautiful…empty of the miners that have been digging and drilling into the sacred place. The birds sung, the cool breeze blew, the sun lit up the sky and lands and the desert and bush for far and wide glowed in a healthy aura. We stood upon the ridge of a cliff outside of where the mining colony once was and took a moment to take in the sights before us and bask in all its glory. The Guru stood at the front of the group, almost in heavenly bliss as he breathed in the fresh air and as the light of the sun reached him. It was also a time for me and Carmelita to enjoy the scenery and serenade in its beauty. Gohan and Videl did the same, indulging in the magnificence of the outback and expressing some pent up affections in that time."

"The moment was broken when Interpol finally showed up and the gang prepared for another quick exit. When we managed to flea on a truck bound for Sydney and away from Interpol's lights, it wasn't just the six of us. Another historic moment has occurred amongst our ranks as we picked up the newest and most unique member of our gang. The Guru, needing to pay of his debts to the Cooper gang and with the possibility of wanting to tag along anyway, he placed his hand in our circle and from that day forward, the team would never be the same."

* * *

**Cooper gang:**

_Sly Cooper: 1,500_

_Murray: 1,950_

_Bentley: 325_

_Carmelita Fox: 1,100_

_Videl Satan: 1,200_

_Gohan: 210,000,000_

_Super Saiyan Gohan: 420,000,000_

_Super Saiyan 2 Gohan: 650,000,000_

_Super Saiyan 3: 2,800,000,000_

**Super villains:**

_Octavio: 2,100_

_Octavio (sonic waves): 1,000_

_Mask of Dark Earth: 5,000_

_Mask of Dark Earth (dingo miner): 300,000,000_

**Other:**

_Octavio's spotlight guards: 250_

_Octavio's pigeon guards: 150_

_Octavio's riot guards: 160_

_Vincinette gang members (each): 1,000_

_Australian Army Mercenary's: 300_

_Miner spotlight guards: 260_

_Miner dingo guards: 200_

_Miner kangaroo guards: 210_

**Interpol:**

_Lt Gronk: 550_

_Mercenary apes (each): 400_

_Interpol officers: 215_

_Interpol cops: 200_

_Interpol Riot police: 350_

_Interpol Special forces: 850

* * *

_

TO BE CONTINUED…


	27. Flight of Fancy

DRAGONBALL Z **meets **_**Sly Cooper**_

_Flight of __**Fancy**_

_**Videl's thoughts…**_

"Bentley was obsessed. Every night he would pour over the blue prints of Doctor M's fortress, looking for a way in to get at the Cooper vault. His desk was littered with the papers he had been going over and the walls were completely covered with his failed work. If he kept this up, he would go insane himself. But whatever the case, Bentley was working at it, running through every approach thoroughly as well as escape routes. But he came to an unfortunate conclusion that there was only one possible alternative and it would take more spunk, intelligence and equipment then even we had. Fortunately, he came up with that possible alternative."

"One night, after careful calculations and consideration, Bentley said that there would be no way in unless we recruit a dedicated RC specialist: a remote control artist with piloting skills far exceeding his own. After the Clockwerk incident, Bentley had lost his RC piloting skills. His RC chopper anyway just didn't have the kind of stealth like devices and applications needed for this operation and would need someone with technology a lot more subtle. Besides, his job was to monitor our progress and hack into difficult systems and to be able to operate a remote control RC transport was just too much."

"Hitting the internet, Bentley began his search for an ideal candidate for our gang. Someone with the kind of qualities he possessed. After weeks of searching techy chat rooms, he eventually found someone who could keep up with him intellectually: a gear head genius up there in Holland named Penelope. He gave her tests so complex that Gohan even found it hard to follow what Bentley was writing to this girl, despite being the second smartest member of the Cooper gang. Within hours, the strong minded candidate Bentley found emerged with top scores on all tests, surprising even him."

"Penelope politely declined our invitation to join the gang, saying she only worked for 'the best'. Apparently, her idea of the best was her boss, the Black Baron: a advanced dog fighting champion who was a renegade when it came to piloting biplanes. A WWI veteran and amazingly still young, the Black Baron was a excellent fighter pilot and could take on six competitors at once with several dozen bogeys on his tale. He's so good that his element is air itself. He's even set up a competition called ACES, using the vast advertisement and popularity of the event to attract would be opponents, pilots with skill. Well, he's also attracting our gang and luring us onto his turf."

"Penelope said that if we could beat her boss in the finals of the ACES competition, then she would know that we weren't just a pack of jokers and would with some special interests join our team. So, Murray and Bentley got together to build our competition planes while Sly, Gohan and Carmelita got their pilot licenses the easy way, seeing as that Carmelita's license was taken from her when she was arrested. They easily snuck into the French air force training camp and swiped a couple of uniforms and licenses, using the original design to craft our own licenses. Sly and Gohan were immensely satisfied with their work and began testing their abilities in the Hazard room. They eventually got up to Carmelita's biplane piloting skills, being the two field men on the job."

"If we were able to beat the Baron at his own game, then Penelope would definitely join our team. We packed our things from the hideout and immediately set off for Holland. We signed ourselves into the competition and settled down at the grand hotel the Baron used as suites for the pilots competing in his competition. Everything seemed to be going smoothly, even if we were making it up as we were going along. Penelope happened to send a picture of herself to us, which was a real eye popper for Bentley when he found out how immensely attractive she was. Unfortunately, he failed to notice that a photo of the original Penelope's face has been stuck onto a body of another woman. Bentley did the same thing with his photo except he stuck it onto a male's body that was far more exaggerated then his original photo."

"Not wanting to disappoint him, we just let him bask under the thoughts of him about to meet the girl of his dreams. Now this was going to be fun..."

* * *

_**Inside the hotel lobby**_

The hotel lobby was an awesome display and portrayed as one of the most luxurious places in the entire hotel. There was no question that this was definitely world, high class, definitely five star and beyond. Gohan had to admit that the Black Baron had put a lot of effort into ensuring that the competitors in the ACE's flight competition were in tip top shape. There was a huge supply of food, drinks and the moral in the place soared. There was a gentle piano music in the background from a person playing Beethoven on the classical piano on stage and the warmth from the fire place filled the place with a strong light. Not to mention that other pilots were walking about the lobby and sitting at the various tables set up around the place, resting and enjoying the quietness the place offered them.

The lobby was a place to shine and walk about freely without worrying about being discovered as a thief since everyone who is competing is welcome. That was a good thing for the Cooper gang. The lobby of course was well built and designed to fit the needs of the pilots. For starters, it was a two story room with the ceiling reaching far out of reach to touch. Chandeliers hung from the golden and painted ceiling that had pictures of ancient scriptures and legends on it, like something out of a museum or kingdom ages. Royalty was also expressed immensely. The windows on the various walls showing the storm outside were built to suite mansion purposes and the curtains, drapes and banners were colored red with golden linings. As for the shape of the lobby, it was circular, a large area that could hold an entire crowd. In the middle of the room there was a statue of the Black Baron, emphasizing the big guy's presence here, as well as portraying his 'might' and popularity. The fire place to the entire lobby was up against the wall, its fire burning within its chamber. Grates and railings surrounded it to keep any coal or ashes from escaping. Across from where the fire place was built was the grand entrance to the lobby that stretched all the way from the ground up to the ceiling itself. The frame was built exquisitely and painted gold. There was also a large walkway built up on the second floor with stair cases leading up to the second floor. It was hard to not notice that the second floor walkway leading to the hotel rooms as well as the stairs cases and carpeting around the centre of the lobby was red. The structure of the lobby was also symbolizing royalty. For example, the railings up on the second floor and the walls and ceiling were all made of marble. It sort of made you think of a 1940's mansion in France. Well, at least the Baron's propaganda wasn't all that bad; it was only the statue and nothing more. The décor was alright too. There were portraits and landscape paintings hanging around, as well as potted, exotic plants and other decorations that brightened the room up splendidly. There was also plenty of furniture. Couches lined the walls and open compartments built into the walls were filled with cushiony chairs and tables where pilots could sit and enjoy a nice dinner. Not to mention there were also other round tables and chairs scattered around the lobby, many of them filled but most of them empty. The stage was set up on the side of the lobby where there was only the piano playing that heavenly melody and across from the stage on the other side of the lobby was a bar with stools, shelves stacked with bottles of wine and beer taps lining the desk. It was all good and satisfactory to the Cooper gang.

Speaking of which, the Cooper gang was scattered all over the lobby. Murray was sitting at one of the dining tables and snacking on lobster and drinking rich person's wine. Bentley was in the Cooper gang suite, fixing up a plan on how to win the ACES competition as well as beat the Black Baron at his own game. He was the only one not relaxing and was busy keeping his head in the game. Carmelita was sitting in a couch in front of the large fire place, reading her favorite novel _The Eyes of a Dragon_ by _Stephen King._ It was the first time she had a relaxing time in weeks. The last time she had a rest like this was when the entire gang went to Hawaii for a vacation. Gohan and Videl were just walking around the lobby, intrigued by the various paintings. The Guru was sitting in a cross-legged position in front of the open fire and was meditating. The strange thing was that he looked kind of funny wearing a pilots jacket, hat, goggles and pants. The bad side for him was that he was forced into wearing it but was quite happy with the idea of rest and recreation. Sly, unfortunately, was on a job. He was talked into it by Bentley as the turtle said that he had a plan on assuring them victory in the ACES competition. Sly reluctantly accepted and was looking out onto the lobby from the walkway just outside the Cooper gang suite.

There were quite a bit of other pilots walking about, all of them minding their own business or talking with their comrades of the sky. There were hundreds of pilots, all of different nationalities and from different countries from across the globe. There were different breeds of anthropomorphic dogs dressed in pilot uniforms, human pilots, anthropomorphic moose breeds, antelope, rhino's, rabbits, pigs… all of them looking as tough as the last competitor and packing some serious piloting skills. When it came to these competitions, they were very serious, especially the Belgium pilots. They are notoriously stone faced, stocky in form as well. It would take a while for even Murray to make them break out in hysterical laughter.

But the thoughts of the Belgium's didn't come to Gohan's mind as he and Videl walked down the walkway towards the staircase, looking about their rich surroundings. Gohan was wearing a pilot's uniform. He sported light brown trousers with pockets, a utility belt holding up his pants, black light weight boots, a white insulated T-shirt, a leather jacket with wooly interior to keep him warm and a WWII pilot's hat and goggles. Videl was wearing blue leather jeans, sport shoes and a white wooly jumper for warmth. She wasn't wearing a mask and allowed her short black hair to hang freely and breathe. From the looks of it, they were suited for the occasion and blended into the crowds perfectly. The walls were painted yellow and the linings from corner to corner were white, marble in design. Along the way, they passed by couches, potted plants and paintings. Furniture of all sorts lined the walls and they would pass by a open window every now and then, revealing the stormy weather outside. They were so caught up in their observations, they failed to notice that they were about to walk into someone who had his back turned to them. Whoever it was, his head nearly touched the ceiling of the walkway above him.

A few steps later, the two of them accidentally walked into the person they didn't see and staggered back a bit, letting out a yell of surprise. After shaking their heads of the shock, they looked up at who they walked into. Whoever it was, he was built like a brick wall. Well, they were to get an even bigger shock for when the person they walked into turned around, they gasped. The giant bulldog glared down at them and raised a clenched, shaking fist in anger.

"Hey, watch where you're going you punks…WHA!!" the purple bulldog yelled, only to exclaim the last part in disbelief. His eyes were wide and his jaw was opened up. It was easy to tell that this guy was shocked as well, just like Gohan and Videl. How would you feel if you just ran into your old arch enemy? Gohan, after staring up at the bull dog for a moment smirked and crossed his arms. Because he was wearing a pilot's uniform with the hat ands goggles on his head, he was barely recognizable, but this guy surely recognized the young Saiyan like from an old photograph hung up on his wall.

"Muggshot, what a surprise, I see you're not in jail anymore", said Gohan with a grin. Muggshot blinked a couple of times, trying to enhance composition and make sense of the situation but grinned as well and crossed his arms. Well, at least he looked the same. Same massive Broly like muscles, massive build, high ki, smug attitude, it was all there. He hadn't changed a bit.

"Ah…it's you rat, you're still alive. I thought that Clockwerk would have done away with you, I suppose not", said Muggshot. He then spotted Videl beside him and glowered, his grin going away. He pointed down at the raven haired girl standing beside Gohan with her arms crossed and glaring up at him. "And you… you're that cop hag that busted me in Mesa City, what a coincidence that you're going out with this waste of skin", Muggshot continued hatefully. Videl smirked and crossed placed her hands on her hips.

"Muggshot: alias 'Two-gun Tony', also known as 'Meat head' Muggshot, seven feet, three inches, 490 pounds, wanted in seven countries with thirteen outstanding warrants for your arrest. And yes, I'm that cop hag who busted you back in Mesa", Videl replied smugly yet despising how Muggshot name called her. The bull dog grunted and crossed his arms again. During the time he was speaking with Videl Gohan got a good look at the outfit Muggshot was wearing.

It was the same outfit he wore back in Mesa City when he fought him in the pent house. Army trousers and white turtle neck that was tight around the top part of his body. However, this time the giant bulldog wore a pilot hat with goggles and a pilot's leather jacket with the same wooly interior. In this case now, Muggshot also had a utility belt round his waste and two bullets chains crisscrossing over his chest. Gohan also took into account the two Thompson M1950 models on his back, the same machine guns that the giant bulldog used against him in their fight. Though big and effective they were, they couldn't hurt him. Muggshot thought he looked cool using them. But whatever the case, Muggshot was a dangerous foe. The only thing is, his ki level had dropped over these years. Guess jail didn't treat him right, but he was still strong nonetheless.

Muggshot glared at the two of them with those beady little eyes that were enhanced by his enormous eyebrows and mustache. His presence here was real cold and fearful among the pilots but his appearance was no higher then normal for Gohan and Videl. They had dealt with guys like him before and his scum was not very hygienic in their opinion. Speaking of which, the guy's breath stunk. "So… I take it you two are entering the ACES competition, that's what ya'll here for right!"

Gohan clapped his hands slowly with a bored look on his face. "Bravo meathead, you sure figured that out sooner then expected. I guess you're here to compete too." Muggshot smirked and held up a clenched fist.

"Oh yeah, I'm here to win back what should be rightfully mine. I've been competing in this tournament for ages. What makes you think you can out fly me!?" exclaimed the bulldog proudly. Videl smirked in amusement.

"Face it fly boy, we've bested you at everything, so what makes you think you can walk out of here without us creaming you right now", asked Videl. Muggshot grunted and spat in disgust.

"I could whip your whole gang with one arm, if you jerks would sit still. Look at these arms, I'm unstoppable", Muggshot growled, performing a pose and flexing his biceps that would rip his enormous jacket if tensed anymore. Gohan couldn't help but shake his head.

"Well too bad. You can't fight us here or anywhere. If we're caught fighting we'll be kicked out of the competition, and that wouldn't go well with you or your other pilots", Gohan replied. Muggshot grunted and cracked his knuckles.

"You're lucky rat boy, because I feel like pummeling you right now", Muggshot growled. Gohan placed his hands on his hips and spiked his ki, his eyes flashing a dangerous teal. This seemed to catch the bull dog's attention greatly and the smirk on Gohan's lips now strongly resembled that of Vegeta's as the young Saiyan glared up at him.

"I highly doubt that you would be able too anyway. You've got such a long sad history of losing to the Cooper gang, especially me. Do you want your face pounded a second time Muggshot, because I am far stronger and smarter then I was all those years ago. And it seems that you have been slacking off lately rather then hitting the old bench press", said Gohan. Muggshot was sweating nervously now, but retained his rightful disposition and pointed at the black haired warrior threateningly.

"Ha, well you won't be talking so much big shot in the ACES competition. Wait till I start blasting yah with lead, then we'll see who gets the last laugh", Muggshot growled, a grin on his face. Gohan and Videl didn't even flinch when the bull dog glared at them. In a swish of a tail, Muggshot wheeled around and stomped out of their sight, fists clenched at his sides and shadow vanishing from the scene as he went to glower in his room. Gohan and Videl looked at each with serious looks on their faces, a single drop of sweat on the side of their foreheads. This didn't feel right.

"This is bad", Videl whispered. Gohan nodded.

"Yeah, Muggshot is one of the best pilots around here. If he can fight as well as he can fly, then he could take down the Baron before us in the finals. We can't let that happen and ruin our chances of getting that Penelope character onto our team", said Gohan. Videl nodded in agreement before gesturing to their room across the lobby.

"We have to warn Bentley!"

With a final understanding nod, the two left the walkway and began their stride back to the Cooper gang suite. If anything were so important at this time, the Muggshot meeting event was. His presence here would surely affect their chances as he was a real powerful villain once and still is. Two bosses under the one roof, what could be worse?

* * *

_**On the walkway overlooking the lobby**_

Sly leaned against the marble railings, looking down at the wide spaces of the lobby before him and seeing the pilots moving around. He could make out most of the teams and was able to recognize their nationalities and home lands. He was surprised to see so many and not a single one of them was not in this competition. He was suspecting that his team was the only one with at least a couple of the team members not engaging in the event officially. Meaning that they would not get the chance to pilot. Oh well, at least they were enjoying themselves.

Sly chuckled in amusement when he saw the piles of dishes Murray was ordering in from lobster to squid. Sea food was on the menu tonight and Sly had to shake his head at the way Murray was consuming his time like this, as well as certain other articles from the menu. He could see Carmelita and the Guru relaxing by the fire place, fulfilling some personal pleasures but he couldn't see Gohan or Videl. They had recently returned from their little trip and were now back in the suite, telling Bentley something important.

While he was focusing his binocucom on Carmelita who was failing to notice she was being watched by her favorite thief, he suddenly saw Bentley's head pop up on screen and nearly jumped when the turtle's face made its appearance. The raccoon sighed in relief and loosened his collar. "Hi there Bentley", Sly said.

"_**Enjoying the scenery are we", **_Bentley asked slyly, noticing his friend's binocucom visor had focused on Carmelita's legs as they were currently exposed from under the dress she was wearing. Sly averted his binocucom away and cleared his throat, turning it to the lobby and leaving the other sights. Boy what he wouldn't give for another night alone with his sweet heart, he was dying on the spot. But he could keep his primal lust under control for the time. They would get some rest eventually where Sly would be meeting with Carmelita personally later.

"Ah…yeah. So umm, what did Gohan and Videl have to say", asked Sly. Bentley scratched his chin and shrugged indifferently. Even though he knew what the two had to say was a big deal, he figured he would break it as delicately as he could.

"_**Well, as it turns out Muggshot is also competing in the ACES competition too and is right here somewhere in the hotel", **_replied Bentley. Sly raised an eyebrow and bit his teeth nervously. Even though Muggshot was an easy target for Gohan, it would sure be harder for him to crack that guy's skull and knock some sense into that over sized, steroid drinking bulldog.

"Yikes, bet that's a pain. If Muggshot makes it to the finals, it would be a lot harder for me, Carm and Gohan to take down the Baron without having the risk of getting shot down ourselves", said Sly. Bentley nodded in agreement.

"_**True, true…however there is also the concern of Muggshot making it to the finals and taking down the Baron before us. Muggshot is a really good pilot but I'm sure the Baron can handle his own load. But there is no question that Muggshot would still beat us to it. That guy is a forth degree advanced player at this thing. So we'll have to cook up something about that later. Firstly, we need to get down to the business at hand", **_Bentley said. Sly smirked and looked about the lobby some more, spotting out the pilots competing in the ACES flight competition.

"Right, and that's finding out the flight roster for tomorrow's dog fighting competition", Sly continued. Bentley nodded, giving Sly the thumbs up.

"_**Precisely. However that too is a problem. The flight roster is hidden away by the hotel business men and competition officials, meaning you're going to have to find out who's fighting who",**_ said Bentley, his voice disappointed. Sly raised an eyebrow at this in surprise.

"What, they keep the flight roster a secret!?" asked Sly in bewilderment. Bentley shrugged.

"_**Afraid so, in years past the competitors would usually go out at night and sabotage each other's planes in preparation for the dog fight",**_ said Bentley. Sly sighed and looked about.

"I get it, so now they keep the flight roster a secret so nobody knows who to mess with", said Sly. Bentley shrugged and scratched his chin as he observed a few more pilots walking about.

"_**Yeah, but unfortunately this year it's fully stacked in the other guy's favor. The problem is that we've got only three planes, and though you three are good pilots you, Carmelita and Gohan would be up there against dozens of bogeys", **_Bentley exclaimed, trying to make it sound serious but couldn't help but be nervous. It was just like him or any other mother related to the turtle, always worrying. Sly could help but roll his eyes.

"You know, usually I'd make some sarcastic remark about 'you having a lot of confidence in me' but those are some grim odds. And, you know…I'm always up for a little sabotage", Sly said, his eyes twinkling in mischief. Bentley grinned.

"_**Hold it there partner. First we'll need to find the flight roster. But that won't really be a problem for you since it's kept hidden by the staff",**_ replied the turtle. Sly continued looking over the lobby thoroughly, impressed by the sights before him.

"So what do we have a mole on the inside?" asked the raccoon curiously. He was aware that Bentley would usually have a plan to get into these kinds of situations. But when you're looking up at all the security and rules laid out by the Baron himself, it would be difficult to work your way around the place without breaking the rules. Bentley smirked and crossed his arms.

"_**Our 'friend' Dimitri has been hired to give color commentary during the dog fights. You should be able to persuade him to cough up the information of where the flight roster is kept. Scout him out somewhere in the lobby. And be careful so you don't get into a fight with any of the other pilots. One punch, and we'll be kicked out of this competition",**_ said Bentley smugly, but with a bit of worry about the fighting thing. All Sly did was smirk.

"Right, we all play nice until tomorrow. Then we blow each other to bits at 300 feet", replied Sly sarcastically. Bentley sighed and shook his head before his face vanished from the screen. With his friend gone, Sly was free to switch of his binocucom and shove it back into his pouch. With everything stored up, the raccoon headed down to the lobby. Fortunately he was wearing basically the same pilot uniform Gohan was wearing and was also in luck to be able to strap a color coded pouch to his leg. It was not red but brown and blended in with his uniform.

Walking presumptuously down to the lobby below, Sly made his way off the stairs and onto solid ground, looking around the place. With all the pilots walking around, it was hard for him to spot the man he was looking for. He could still here to gentle music in the background and was sort of eased by it. However, the thoughts of the dog fighting championships tomorrow cleared his peaceful mood and he quickly went back to his task of finding Dimitri. Well, it wasn't hard to spot him now, given the lizards tailor made outfit and colorful look. The raccoon easily spotted the iguana out working behind the bar on the right side of the room across form the fire place. He was right under the walkway he had just walked down from.

Shaking his head, Sly walked over to the bar desk and into the bar tending area, stopping beside the iguana and crossing his arms. The lizard was listening to the music playing in the background and was busy checking the outfit he wore. But when Sly appeared at his side, he averted his gaze and looked surprised when he recognized the raccoon standing beside him. Sly smiled up at the lizard and tilted his head in curiosity. "Dimitri, funny seeing you here, never pegged you as a flyboy", said Sly. Dimitri smiled and placed his right hand on his chest in a sensual motion.

"Like a dance floor with many lights, I have many profiles. Dig, don't even try to understand the silky enigma of Dimitri", the iguana exclaimed, crossing his arms and performing a cool guy pose. He still had his symbolic cigar held firmly between his lips and was puffing on it slowly, savoring the taste. Sly nodded, sort of oddly but understood the guy. It was Dimitri's nature to be a hip hop sensation, as it was for him and the rest of the gang to be a pack of thieves. Guess it all plays that way.

"Bentley seemed to think you might have a copy of the flight line up for tomorrow's ACES dogfights…that true?" asked Sly. Dimitri huffed and smirked at the raccoon standing beside him. Because he was taller then Sly he had to look down to keep his eyes level with the ring tailed raccoon.

"And why would I talk to a two-bid, rooly-pood cracker box like you? Question mark in bold. **WHY?**" Dimitri exclaimed, doing a series of exclamation and enthusiastic poses to emphasize his point. Sly looked at the iguana oddly and smirked in amusement.

"_Man, this guy sure is one to drive a bargain. I'll have to try and get him to give me information on the flight line up roster. Hmm… perhaps I should use a logical argument, threatening him wont do any good", _thought Sly. He smiled slyly and, keeping his arms crossed, began to speak again. "We both know you're going to talk otherwise you wouldn't have bothered showing up if you didn't want to talk so…spill it", the raccoon said confidently.

Dimitri sighed and rubbed the bridge of his large nose. "I know, but to talk is like sitting in electric-chair. The Baron has eyes, eyes and ears, ears and fists!! Dimitri will be discovered, and the jig is pinched", the iguana almost yelled, sulking seconds later. Sly raised an eyebrow at Dimitri again; sweat dropping at the guys hysterics. Shaking out of his state and back into reality, Sly began to think up something to help calm him down.

"_This guy's paranoid. I have to help him out of this ditch. I could offer to protect him but he's too arrogant for that and he wouldn't trust us on it. Maybe I should compliment him, make him feel good. It has always worked in the past with this guy, being the independent business man he is",_ thought Sly. The raccoon smirked mischievously and shook his head, looking up at the iguana with pity. "Come now Dimitri, you've got the best fashion sense then anyone else around here. You can deal with this Baron guy no problem", said Sly. Dimitri looked up and rubbed his chin.

"Le fashion, style! Yes…y-you're right! If I can out dress him I can certainly out smart him! 'All is told through clothes'! Okay, I'll talk of flight line up if you agree to owe Dimitri a favor, which I will collect in a few months of time", said Dimitri, climbing up the ladder as he went along and not just in mood. Sly was puzzled and looked at Dimitri in question.

"A favor", the raccoon said curiously, having a hunch of what was to come. Dimitri nodded.

"This is no small time favor like 'will you water my fish or feed my plant', NO! This is big, blood packed favor like movies, star light, big time!!" exclaimed Dimitri, glancing down at the raccoon before smirking. "So, do we have a deal?"

Sly looked at Dimitri oddly. _"Boy this guy is a real nut job. I'm not sure I should owe him. But what the heck, it's better then nothing. Don't want to leave tonight with a side order of guilt. I'll agree to the favor then, it's the only way I can get around this obstacle",_ Sly thought, hunching both eyebrows up sharply before bring them back down again and pointing at the iguana firmly. "OK Dimitri, hook me up with the flight line up and we'll owe you one", said Sly. Dimitri grinned and cheered, raising his hands.

"DONE! The bargain she is struck. OK, here it is, the flight line up", said Dimitri, pulling what looked to be from underneath the bar tending desk a white poster, handing it to the raccoon who took it eagerly and pushed it into his pouch. The iguana smiled and crossed his arms. "The Baron should watch his back while up there dancing the beat against you Cooper", Dimitri continued. Sly smiled and nodded.

"Thanks a lot Dimitri, we'll definitely make sure we'll hold up our part of the deal for you on this one", said Sly. Dimitri nodded happily but suddenly, he gasped. His eyes widened and he hissed, gesturing behind Sly.

"Look sharp, here comes big cheese", the iguana exclaimed. Sly raised an eyebrow and looked around towards the large arch way entrance. His eyes widened too when he saw, coming up the stairs and into view from beyond the entrance, the Black Baron himself. The guy was sure looking tough and smart. When the Black Baron stopped at the entrance in full view of the crowds of pilots, he looked about the room, running his hands over his mustache. At this time, Sly was able to get a good view of his outfit and form.

The Black Baron surely knew how to make an impression and dressed in accordance with his outfit. The guy wore a black leather jacket, flying trousers with lots of pockets in them and black boots. The Baron also wore a utility belt and a red scarf around his neck. Covering his face he wore a large set of goggles that hid his eyes completely and a pilot's hand over his head. The only things visible were his nose and the large mustache underneath. He also wore red gloves for warmth and perhaps for something more. Also, the guy was seriously buff and walked in a way that made Sly think that all that muscle made his hulking frame all a bulk, making it rather difficult for him to stride.

When Sly was done examining him, the Baron clapped his hand sand raised his arms, catching everybody's attention in the room. Everybody looked in the Baron's direction and immediately hushed up. "I bid you all a most flamboyant welcome my esteemed comrades of the sky, welcome, WELCOME to this years ACES flying competition. We've got teams here from across the globe, Belgium, Iceland, Canada, England, Australia, America, Norway, Ecuador, Korea and many, many more. Not the least of which was last year's deadly runner up, Team Muggshot!" the Baron exclaimed. Sly, looking up at the walkway above the main lobby, saw Muggshot clear as day, the giant bulldog glaring down at the Baron.

Pointing at the Baron, Muggshot clenched his fist and held it up, shaking it. "This time we're going to drill you joker's fulla holes!" shouted the mighty dog angrily. The Baron thought nothing of the competitor's comment and looked about the room at all of the intrigued and astounded figures and faces. He was most eager to see how they would fight tomorrow but held off on the sweet talk.

"We all know that in years past, some teams have engaged in a little bit of good natured, late night high-jinx. Heh-Heh", the Baron exclaimed, putting his hands behind him and looking around to see the pilots' expressions. He could see most of them chuckling and smirking to themselves and slowly, listened to the amusing shouts from many of the pilots.

"Like when Team Belgium stole Ecuador's parachutes", shouted a random pilot, laughter filling up the entire room.

"Or when Team Iceland sawed the landing gear off of Korea's planes", exclaimed another pilot, more laughter filling the room and totally droning out the sounds of rain outside. Everyone was bursting into hysterics from the past historic tragedies held by the ACES competitions in the past.

"Or when Portugal put rat poison in Team Muggshot's coffee machine!" exclaimed another. More laughter filled the room and even Dimitri and the rest of the Cooper gang present shared a laugh at that one, picturing Muggshot in bed with a bucket beside him.

The Baron nodded and cleared his throat, the room slowly silencing and calming to a pause. "Yes, yes that was all so very funny but, NO MORE!! You know the rules, no one absolutely NO ONE is to leave the hotel after sunset. If my guards catch you outside, you will be beaten to within an inch of your life. No exceptions. This will be a fair competition", said the Baron firmly, stating it and making sure it stuck into everyone's heads.

Another random pilot chuckled. "Same as last year and the year before, I've got the scars to prove it!" he shouted, the entire lobby bursting out with laughter again. The Black Baron chuckled as well and held up a hand to silence everyone and placed it against his chest, his left hand still held behind him and fisted to keep it steady.

"I bid you all an exuberant and exaggerated farewell pilots. Tonight, sleep like geese, and tomorrow, soar like eagles high what-what! HA!" the Baron exclaimed loudly earning himself applause from the crowd of pilots including cheering and shouts of praise. But, when the Black Baron was satisfied with the cheers and applause, he slowly turned on his heel and waltzed out of there like it was an everyday thing. Well, it was since he was such a celebrity in the ACES competition.

After seeing the Black Baron disappear and the chatter in the room start up again along with the awkward silence that fell around the fire place, Dimitri turned to Sly and, flashing him a grin gave him the thumbs up. Sly returned it and when Dimitri turned back to tending with the bar, Sly left. Slowly he began walking casually back up the stairs and out of the lobby. Within moments, he was back at the front entrance to the suite. However, when he was just about to open it, the door opened itself, and out stepped Gohan and Videl, still dressed in their same outfits but this time wearing smiles on their faces. When they saw Sly they nodded to him before heading out of his way and down to the lobby to join Carmelita and the Guru. Sly smiled in return and after seeing the pair walk out of sight, stepped through the door and into the Cooper gang suite, also serving as their hideout.

It might take some doing, but the gang had to come up with a plan to get at that trophy. They had to reach the finals.

TO BE CONTINUED…


	28. OP: Turbo Dominant Eagle

DRAGONBALL Z **meets **_**Sly Cooper**_

_OP: Turbo Dominant Eagle_

_**Gohan's thoughts…**_

"OK, so this is just getting better and better… or not. It's just the meeting with Muggshot and the address of his presence has really freaked us all out, but it was no biggy on that night. We eventually all got a good night sleep. Well…uhh, not me and Videl. We actually had a game of cops and robbers of our own between the bed sheets before we got some sleep. Oh who am I kidding, okay just a few hours worth of personal fun but that's all, we didn't fall asleep until 1 o'clock in the morning. I think Sly and Carmelita were up as long as we were. I was just hoping we didn't wake the others but there is a possibility we did. Why are we even talking about this!!? Moving on…"

"The ACE's competition is hosting hundreds of competitors, all from different countries. Unfortunately, each round of the ACE's competition consists of three teams fighting off against each other. The last man or team standing wins. The bad part about this is in the semi-final round Team Cooper, consisting of three fighters is facing off against Iceland and Belgium, both teams having a total of twelve aircraft each. If we managed to beat them, we'll move onto the final round against Team Black Baron and Team Muggshot, both teams having crushed their opponents in the Semi finals. In order for our mission to succeed, we need to ensure our victory against Belgium and Iceland and then against the final team players. If all goes well, we'll become this years ACES dogfight champions: the first team to ever win with only three fighters. Of course, Bentley quickly hatched the plan to beat our competition and it paid off handsomely."

"By pitting both Team Belgium and Team Iceland against each other by framing both teams to believe the other team was responsible for a certain crime and theft, the two were furiously gunning for each other in the round me, Carmelita and Sly fought in. And also because Sly flew an Air-bender M1918 along with Carmelita who flew a Fokker Dr.1 Tri-plane and I who flew a Pyro-interceptor P-38, we ensured our victory. With all three of us surviving strong under our blue, red and golden colors and the Cooper symbol, we celebrated that day. Iceland and Belgium was out of the competition and we were on. It took a lot of hard work to get there but we made it."

"However, in spite of our recent victory Bentley became firm about our victory in the finals. He informed us that the two finalists were tough opponents even for Carmelita to handle. In the past, hundreds of good pilots have died, trying and failing to try and take down the Black Baron. The Black Baron was a formidable opponent no questions asked and won the dog fighting league champion trophy 9 seasons running. He was going to be tough to bring down, but Sly stated he and Carmelita would handle him. But it wasn't during the fight we had to worry about, it was before. The day before the semi-finals, Muggshot attempted to sabotage our plane, but because I was down at the hanger with Murray, we managed to fend off his assault. This prompted the Baron to give Muggshot one last warning otherwise he would be thrown out of the competition. Fortunately, Bentley has come up with a plan to take him out of the competition before he has a chance to take down the Baron…way before."

"In order for our success in the finals, Bentley suggested that Videl would take out Muggshot an hour before the finals. Though I protested to this, she replied that she could handle him. Muggshot was really tough to take down but I trusted Videl on this. While she was taking care of Muggshot, Bentley would hack into the Black Baron's personal radar system as the Baron has been known to call in a squad of gun ships to destroy Ace fighter pilots in case his victory was in jeopardy. Bentley figured a bit of windmill slingshots would help take down the gun ships in their approach. Also, while Bentley was doing that, Sly, Carmelita and I will suit up and ready ourselves for the finals. With Muggshot out of the picture and the Black Baron ripe for the picking, we could see our victory dawning on us. The Baron does only have six fighters on his team, through team work; we could bring them all down. In victory, our prize would not only be the trophy, but Penelope would surely be joining us."

* * *

_**Aircraft hanger area…**_

Gohan, Carmelita and Sly were steadily moving their air craft into position on the take of ramps. These ramps were large structures that could support a lot of weight and helped in the take off of the bi-planes and tri-planes fighting in this up coming final round of the ACES flight competition. The three Cooper planes, unique in design and color coded for their team to recognize each other as well as other planes to distinguish them between friend and foe, were being worked on by both Carmelita and Sly. Gohan was busy checking whether the starting motor was alright and that all the ammunition they needed was loaded up. Back turrets have also been installed just in case they had a bogey on their tail and they couldn't shake him or her off. The turret was just a 30 caliber browning heavy machine gun.

Bentley and Videl however were at the base of the ramp. Because the ramp was curved in a sort of U except one end was cut short to allow proper execution of the take off, the two thieves found themselves standing beneath the large ramp. Stationed around the ramp were many of the air craft hangar's housing the other team planes. Because Belgium and Iceland were absence and that their aircraft were totaled, there was no need to worry about wandering eyes. The Baron had his own personal take off ramp up in his castle so there was no need to worry about his presence around here. Also, because of how the ramp was built, Bentley and Videl had to look up to check on the progress of the three air craft they were planning to use in the final round. They had only suffered minor damage from 50 caliber fire but all in all they were back in tip top shape. So after seeing Sly wave to them, Bentley turned to Videl and nodded to her.

"Its time we dealt with Muggshot. We can't risk him taking out the Baron before us in the finals", Bentley explained. Videl nodded and with a smirk, crossed her arms. She was back in her old assassin's uniform, jump suit and all. She had been occupying herself by spinning her new plasma bolt Desert Eagle in her finger. This new weapon was enhanced from the regular Desert Eagle, but despite not having the extra kick the old pistol had, it had the sufficient strength she needed to bring down opponents like Muggshot himself.

"Not to mention he deserves a little payback for what he did to our aircraft hangar", continued the raven haired girl. Bentley nodded in agreement but then moved on with the subject, deciding to point out a few things before the Operation could be undergone.

"Ever since Muggshot's assault the Baron has been keeping an eye on him, however now that it is the day of the finals, the Baron has allowed the giant bull dog some fresh air, so we'll need to take him out now. I spotted him prowling around the town centre. Intercept him there, and bring him down Videl, we're all counting on you", said Bentley. Videl nodded and, holding her pistol firmly in her hand, pulled on the slider and cocked her pistol. She then pulled her second pistol out, twirled it and loaded it with two loud clicks. She grinned at Bentley and nodded.

"If it's to bring down that ugly mug, then this shouldn't take long. I've got a hand it to you Bentley, this is a really under handed plan", said Videl, "You've sure gotten devious over these years."

Bentley smiled and sighed positively. "Why thank you, I pride myself on deviousness these days. Now get moving, the competition starts in an hour! I've set up some AA Quad Flak guns around the area, so I'll be able to pick off Muggshot's Team members from the sky easily and allow the other three to take down the Baron's Team mates. You won't need to worry about Muggshot's men overpowering you, so good luck" Bentley continued, making hurried motions with his hands, as if trying to chase her away. Videl nodded and with a wink, spun on her heel and sprinted out of sight. Gohan, who was sitting in his plane and tinkering with the fuselage hoses, turned to glance down at how Bentley and Videl were doing. When he saw his girlfriend running off and onto the horizon, he frowned and thought to himself.

"

* * *

_**Town centre…**_

_**A few minutes later…**_

The town centre wasn't all that bad. In fact, it was just how every other town centre in Northern Europe would look like. Directly in the middle of the roundabout making up the centre of the town was a old well, probably used long ago but was now out of order. The road was of basic cement design and pulled off in two different directions. In one direction was the road leading over a wooden bridge that arched over a large river. On the other side of the river was the large hotel the Baron used for the pilots where there were more houses and other buildings making up the small town in Holland. The other road however lead out of the town centre and out of town in the direction of the various valleys, windmills and more likely, towards the air craft hangar area. It was only half a kilometer away and it wouldn't take long to reach it if you just walked. But right now, the main focus was clearly plastered on the town centre where Videl was planning to reach.

Sitting a top of one of the old fashion buildings that resembled sort of like a cottage in the countryside, Videl stood crouched on the building, holding both her pistols in her hands and glaring down at the town centre below. She remained shadowed on the building, despite the sun rising over the horizon and shining down upon her. It was just the mood that she had in the types of atmosphere she favored. But she had not desire to have a good time. She was dealing with Muggshot here, and she needed to get rid of him once and for all. The question was where is he?

Looking around the entire town, Videl could not spot the giant bulldog or hear the pounding of his fists against the ground as he walked. If he was surely around here, she would be able to hear him before she could see him. How hard is it to spot a giant bulldog about the size of a small shack and weighs more then a car? Well, Videl found it impossible for such a large mutt to hide inside one of the surrounding buildings, meaning the only place left for Muggshot to hide was the hotel. Scrutinizing the area a bit more under her intense gaze, Videl pulled out her binocucom and looked over the exterior of the Baron's hotel, the schematics of the electronically enhanced binoculars allowing her to get all good glimpses of the hotel. Well, she didn't think that looking over the outside of the hotel was going to help. She sighed in annoyance and was about to put away her binocucom when she suddenly saw the door to the hotel burst open and out stomped the mug himself.

Videl had to grip hold of the building to keep herself from falling when Muggshot came stomping towards the town centre, but when the shaking softened up a bit, she had no more use for gripping the roof of the house. Putting away her binocucom, Videl drew her pistols again, loading them and standing up where she sat crouched. Putting her game face on, Videl watched and waited as Muggshot crossed the bridge that incredibly enough held his weight and smirked when she saw him stop on her side, just outside the perimeter of the town square circulating around the central well.

Muggshot put both his hind legs back to the ground and grunted, hitting the palm of his right hand with his left fist and spitting on the ground in disgust. "Cooper gang nothing! Mess with me, them little punks are gonna eat dirt", Muggshot growled roughly, placing his leg sized finger firmly on the ground before looking up onto the rooftops of the buildings surrounding him. Well, he sure wasn't expecting to see a familiar cop glaring back at him with equal dislike on her face and Muggshot got the biggest shock of his life. Choking on words, he pointed up at Videl and shouted.

"HEY! Whatcha doin' all the way out here girlie!? Come for a rematch with the big boy", yelled Muggshot. Videl smirked and twirled her guns in her fingers, stepping forward on the roof before placing her fists on her hips firmly.

"What 'big boy'? The only boy I see is a sad little twelve year old acting like John Dillinger. Unless you can get it through to your head, I mean you", Videl replied with surprising confidence. Muggshot, hearing this blinked a couple of times before his face suddenly twisted into a fury of rage, his teeth clenching and his eyes narrowing daggers down on the girl on top of the roof. He pounded his fists into the ground with a loud yell before pointing up at her again, jabbing his enormous finger in her direction.

"OH YEAH!! If you want to play games, then let's play!! I see you've got guns brat!! If you know how to use em', let's play cowboy!" Muggshot growled, pulling out from behind him his two heavy machine guns. Videl smirked and crouched lowly, preparing for the fire works to start up. Muggshot was real tough, and she reminded herself to keep on her toes.

"Guns?! These bazookas pack a paralyzing punch", Videl said, referring to the pistols in her hands. "You should try them, might snap you out of your crime spree", she continued, furrowing her brow as she stared intently in Muggshot's direction. The giant bulldog smirked in return and loaded his machine guns, pulling back on the bolts and holding them up, left and right. The Tommy machine guns he held had an intimidating appearance, more intimidating then Videl's pistols and were sure enough capable of sawing a house in half. She had to be extra careful when avoiding those things.

Muggshot snorted. "What!? Those pea shooters! Please, if you want to see real fire arms, then swallow a batch of lead from these babies. Heck, this ain't no pillow fight girlie!" Muggshot yelled. In true cowboy style, Muggshot spun the giant guns in his hands, at the same time, snapping the two chains of bullets worn on him. With the sounds of guns loading, Muggshot dropped into a balanced stance and pointed the muzzles of his giant Tommy guns directly at Videl standing on the roof.

In quick spirit and sprint, Videl made a major, Carmelita like jump into the air, the part of the building she was standing on exploding as Muggshot's massive 20mm rounds from his machine guns struck the roof, chipping it away and turning it into sheets of rubble. The sounds of his guns were as loud as thunder themselves. Videl was lucky enough to avoid them as Muggshot began mercilessly firing at her. He switched his mode from anti-personnel to anti-air as he directed his guns at Videl who was still airborne.

Videl gracefully avoided the fire storm of bullets, twirling and flipping through the air expertly before landing on a building beside the one with the now caved in roof. She had landed crouched and in a stabilized position, directly in Muggshot's sights. As soon as she landed, she directed her attention towards her opponent before sprinting across the long stretch of roof. Immediately upon landing, Muggshot directed his weapons on her, his guns blazing with the sparks of gun powder bursting forth from the muzzles of his guns as he followed her across the roof, hammering away at her. In fact, his rounds missed her entirely and instead of taking down his opponent, he ended up taking massive chunks out of the rooftops he struck. Debris was sent flying as the horizon was lit up with exploding solid objects.

Sprinting across the stretch of roof she was on, which in fact belonged to a high classed restaurant, Videl eventually found herself at the end of the road and carelessly leapt to the next roof, double jumping and flipped through the air to gain extra height and momentum. Within seconds, she was on solid roof again and was sprinting for her life again, making sure she stayed ahead of the line of exploding roofs. Fortunately, she had plenty of running space and whenever she ran into a dead spot she passed it by, either by dropping down onto the lower rooftop or jumping to a higher elevated roof top. Muggshot quickly grew frustrated as he had to back away and turn, walking away from the bridge so to keep Videl in his sights.

His ammunition belts were linked to a special pack on his back that fed more ammunition into the belts, allowing Muggshot to give off continuous, deadly rounds. His pack contained 500 heavy shells that was a upgrade from his old weapons. He had made sure to cover up some mistakes, especially not to mess with Gohan and to carry more ammunition with him since his last machine guns ran out too quickly in his last fight. He was thankful that he had thought of this and was now confident he could beat his new opponent this time. But as if fortune were not on his side today, he continuously missed his target, failing miserably in every attempted burst of fire.

Videl smirked as he continued sprinting across the roof. She was about to fire her weapons when she stopped sharply and gasped. She had reached the end of the line of roofs, having found out that she had reached the point where the bridge cut into the picture, the river on one side of the building she was on, a bridge in front of her, a exploding sensation approaching her from behind and the pit of the wolf to her left. Looking over these, she spun around, seeing that Muggshot's exploding rounds were closing in, and fast, shrapnel bursting everywhere in its fast approach. When Muggshot saw Videl on the edge of the roofs, he smirked, bringing his Tommy guns about and blazing away at her with his full pack, confident that his guns wouldn't over heat. They were unfortunately air cooled.

Though the situation looked grim, Videl kept her cool. Frowning in seriousness, Videl made another major leap into the air and with a double leap, dived towards the bridge. At the same time as avoiding the bullets, Videl aimed her pistols directly at her opponent, staring down the lengths of the powerful arsenals, focused her attention on the giant bull dog standing close to the central well. Time seemed to slow as these sharp moves were undertaken, with the heavy rounds from Muggshot continuously coming directly for the raven haired girl, Videl focused. Her teeth clenched in stress of this unpredictable move and her hands gripped the handles of her weapons. When a rush of Muggshot's rounds flew directly round her, Videl unleashed her assault. Her plasma pistols blazed away, their deadly, high powered energy bolts shooting out directly at their target.

The first test subject Muggshot didn't know what hit him and he suddenly fell to his knees when he suddenly felt his footing knocked from him and a strange sensation of pain reach him. He grunted when the feeling of getting pounded by someone strong struck him, his grip loosening on the triggers of his weapons when he dropped. It felt ads though he was getting punches by Gohan and this strange assault threw him off just long enough for Videl to safely land back on her two feet and begin blazing her own rounds at her opponent. Backing off up the bridge, Videl threw her pistols into double action use and took Muggshot down piece by piece. From the looks of it, her assault was affecting him greatly.

Growling through bared teeth, Muggshot struggled back to his feet and lifted his machine guns back up. Taking a balanced stance under intense pressure from the rounds of Videl's pistols striking him, Muggshot brought his weapons back into battle readiness and upon pulling them up, pulled down on the triggers. Loud bangs sounded again as the bullets erupted from the muzzles of his guns at the same time empty shells flew out of the chamber via the access ports on the sides. The chain of bullets tugged on him as they were brought into action through the feeder.

"If chicks like you make me work, I hate chicks like you!!"

Videl had to duck and dodge the incoming rounds at the same time keep up her rate of fire. She also rolled to the sides to avoid the shots and sit back up into a crouched position and direct her weapons on their target again. But, figuring she couldn't avoid the intense rounds forever, she decided to move onto the assault. After giving off a barrage of shots that managed to knock the giant bull dog stumbling back and into the well behind him, Videl sprinted forward as fast as possible, her feet tapping the ground rapidly in her incredibly fast sprint. She was faster then Muggshot gave her credit for and he was well aware that Gohan beat him out of speed and superior skill. As fast as he could without injuring himself, Muggshot pulled himself out of his trapped state and directed his attention to his opponent, throwing his gaulents forward and unleashed his slug throw of heavy fire.

Videl far faster though and leapt into the air just as the rounds struck the spot where she was a second before. Because of the momentum she had gained in her run, it allowed her to jump directly towards the giant bulldog, flying through the air like a knife through soft butter. Muggshot was shocked and in his stupor, brought his guns upwards to meet his opponent. However, Videl was counting on it and landing on the tip of Muggshot's massive gun he held in his left hand, Videl let out a yell and sent a right roundhouse kick into the side of Muggshot's head. When she hit, she only managed to knock him sideways a bit while the affects of hitting someone as thick as a brick wall kicked in. She let out a yelp and pulled her aching leg back, making Muggshot laughed and threw her over his shoulder, thrusting his left arm upwards.

The raven haired girl responded to this in kind and as soon as she was flung, she flipped through the air and landed on the other side of the well in a crouched stance for balance and shock absorption of her landing. In an instant, she spun around and stood up, bringing her pistols to bear. However, just before she could take a shot through the space of the well, Muggshot and turned around and in that split second, Muggshot flung his arm into the side of the well, knocking it aside and turning it into a pile of splinters and debris. Before the well's remains could even hit the ground, Muggshot had already brought his guns down on Videl and immediately let off a barrage of deadly rounds.

Videl growled and rolled out of the way to the left, standing up when she had reached a suitable distance and turned her guns on Muggshot, pulling down on the triggers rapidly and unleashing her attack. Making sure not to over squeeze the triggers, she hammered her deadly rounds into Muggshot's midsection, chest and weak legs. In return, she received grunts of discomfort when Muggshot felt the full brunt of Videl's attacks and inaccurately, returned her punishing blows with some of his own. Giving off a long burst of machine gun fire with his right machine gun, he slowly approached, holding his left one up. Videl made sure to stay away from him and out of range of his careless shots.

If she was to get too close to Muggshot, she would be killed for sure, especially since he was immensely more powerful then she was. All the while she was stepping away and running sideways, she kept him on his toes with deadly rounds. From observations, her shots were doing the trick, bruises appearing all over his arms, chest and legs and his outfit had become rather battered. If she kept it up, she might as well bring him down once and for all. With any luck, Interpol was already on its way. The only problem was, could she bring him down before they arrived.

While Muggshot continued blazing away at her with his right gaulent, Videl continued to back away until she ran into another dead spot. She suddenly stopped in shock when her back hit the brick wall of the building behind her and as a result, she ceased firing. Unable to move for the river was directly to her left beyond a small brick ledge and a set of stairs blocking her escape passage to her right, she stood in fear and looked up at her opponent.

Muggshot, having stopped firing approached her and, stranding within several meters of her smirked and brought both his weapons to bear. Videl cringed at the thought and bit her tongue down, sweat pouring down her forehead. Seeing the muzzles of the guns being pointed at her brought her down inwardly when she realized her approaching fate. Muggshot grinned. "Well now, it's been a pleasure knowing you cop hag. Say good night sweet princess!"

Videl closed her eyes tightly and waited for the pain. However, the only thing she heard was, not the guns of Muggshot blazing away or her blood splattering everywhere, was the click-click of two empty guns. Looking up again, Videl saw to her surprise that Muggshot's feeders were empty and that the ugly mug was looking at his guns in surprise. Both guns were smoking and the empty shells of previously fired rounds lay all over the place.

After looking at both his weapons, Muggshot growled and threw them on the ground, letting out a bark before glaring up at Videl. "Alright brat O'Malley, you got lucky that time. But this time, I think I'll get hammer and clobber here to finish the job off", yelled Muggshot, bringing both his fists up to emphasize his point and show the girl in front of him what he meant. Videl scowled at them worryingly but soon enough, smiled.

Bringing her two pistols to bare, the raven haired girl smirked. "Actually Muggshot, I think I'll do this the easy way and finish it", Videl stated, pulling back the hammer of her explosively strong guns. Muggshot smirked and thumbed into his chest.

"You, finish me!? It's not over till I say it's over brat! Besides, how can you hurt something as solid as me?" asked the giant bulldog, tensing his bicep and throwing them down to the ground, creating a earth shattering crack in the ground. He smirked evilly and placed his fists on his small waste. "If you think you're so confident, take your best shot, you can't hurt me! I'm a brick wall", Muggshot exclaimed proudly and arrogantly. Videl smirked wildly.

"If so, then perhaps you won't mind if I use my guns to their full extent", Videl replied. Muggshot opened his eyes from their state of waiting and looked down at the girl in puzzlement and surprise.

"W-What!?" he blurted. Videl sighed and shook her head, holding her weapons up again and squeezing the triggers lightly.

"Observe", Videl replied. In a split second, her guns burst into action and soon enough, powerful rounds from her weapons were unleashed onto their target. Though no conventional weapon could harm Muggshot, these pistols definitely would and with surprising results and for several good reasons. One, they were designed to stun and paralyze, not kill. And second, her pistols were built for this special occasion, charged with almost infinite rounds, and Muggshot could not block the paralyzing effects of these guns for long.

With resounding grunts, Muggshot was smacked in his chest, gut and torso with the heavy, hammer effective shots from Videl's pistols and under the new pressure and stress, was forced back. Holding up his arms for protection, Muggshot attempted to block out Videl's assault. He was unsuccessful however as the paralyzing shots started up a chain reaction. Electro magnetic energy steadily began to crackle all over Muggshot's body and arms, smoke emitting off of Muggshot's back as he was attacked and forced back into the collapsed well. Falling over, Muggshot groaned from the merciless assault laid down by Videl and through the useless shield his arms provided him, he looked up at his opponent. Videl was smirking as she hammered away at him, the light from her pistols shots igniting filling the air with bright flashes.

Groaning loudly, Muggshot felt as if he was about to give in. Though he may have thought it, his body definitely had and after a final direct shot to his gut, Muggshot suddenly keeled over forwards, arms over his stomach and his widened eyes swirling in sync with this new result. Wobbling on his knees, Muggshot looked about dazed. "Mother, is that you?" he dreamily asked in a dumb voice, making Videl raise an eyebrow and lower her pistols to her sides. She watched as Muggshot performed a series of Ginyu force like poses before falling over backwards.

"I'm sorry… I didn't know they was yours", he continued on, holding up a weak hand in statement. Before he could say another word, his eyes crossed and suddenly, he fell back, unconscious. Videl sweat dropped at this and sighed, holstering her pistols and rubbing the back of her head as she looked down at the massive form of her so called, opponent.

After careful observations, she shook her head. "Booking this idiot would take all night for Interpol. Oh well, I guess they'll be satisfied with this capture. What a meat head", Videl said uncaringly. Within a short time of staring down at Muggshot, Videl suddenly became aware of Bentley's schedule and pushed herself back into reality. Making sure she didn't leave anything behind, she sprinted out of the town square and into the hotel where Murray and the Guru would be waiting in the suite to watch the dog fight on TV. Of course, this was going to be a big one.

* * *

_**An hour later…**_

_**Skies above the flight arena…**_

The finals of the ACES flying competition is finally underway with both finalists already taking wing that is to be the most incredible dog fight of the century. With the three best of the Cooper gang clawed up against the power of the six fighters under the Black Baron's command, things were looking to be getting to a hot start. Unfortunately, the competition could not start until Dimitri, the competitions commentator gave the word to start. Flying at over 1000 feet in the sky within the clouds, it was pretty hard to hear the starting bell but because the Baron had given strict instructions for all teams to be equipped with head sets in their fights, they were able to hear the commentator and their friends in the air as clear as day.

Sly, Carmelita and Gohan were fling aircraft in their planned formation: Gohan on the far left, Carmelita in the middle and slightly forward and Sly on her right wing. Their powerful engines of their aircraft sounded loudly and clearly, a grand signal that they were ready and perfect for the dog fight soon to follow. The Black Baron was an unpredictable opponent and would not be going down easily, so the Cooper gang planned for the entire thing. They would have him out numbered by first taking down his support fighters before going in for the big kill. Bentley was already in position and Murray and the Guru were standing back, watching the show.

Looking about, Sly kept on the lookout for their competition. Through the clouds they could not see any sign of their opponents. Even his very sensitive hearing could pick out the slightest sounds of any distant aircraft. All he could hear was the wind rushing past, as well as the feel of the cool winds against his face. He was certain the others could feel it to, being at this high altitude and all. Whatever the case, they had to stay sharp. Bentley always worried about this.

Gohan however wasn't worried at all. One thing was for certain, Videl had done a smashing job with Muggshot. He could sense she was still alive and Muggshot was far from alright. Another thing that really brightened his spirits was the fact he was flying a plane. He had always flown using his ki and this was the first time he had had the privilege of flying something without the use of his energy. This was going to get fun and fast!

Placing a finger to activate his head set, Gohan looked over at Carmelita and spoke up to get her attention; getting on the correct frequency so to make the connection perfect and clear. "Carmelita, are you alright?!" he yelled over the noise of his engine. He heard a disgruntled reply and a groan, as well as the crackling of some interference. Well, he was soon to find that it wasn't interference as he had yelled loud enough to send that ear piecing message directly into Carmelita's sensitive ears.

"_**Ouch! Gohan not so loud! I can hear you clearly alright! Gees ease up. Being in the driver's seat of a tri-plane is like my element! I'm used to it!"**_ Carmelita replied. She had been firm with telling him about how she was used to it in the beginning after the ringing in her ears had stopped. But she said the last bits in a softer tone in the end. Gohan smirked and checked the dials along the dashboard close to the throttles. Everything was in tiptop shape, a sure sign that Murray and Bentley had done their jobs right.

"That's good to hear", Gohan said in relief. Suddenly, his head sets crackled back to life as another connection was made between him and his best friend Sly. The raccoon's voice immediately came into the picture that sounded like he was having the time of his life. Gohan smiled and glanced over to the other side of Carmelita's plane where Sly's blue bi-plane flew gracefully. He saw the raccoon waving to him with a grin on his face.

"_**It would be better to hear that all of us are alright, Gohan",**_ exclaimed Sly. Gohan nodded over to Sly and gave the raccoon the thumbs up. He was sure that the raccoon received his good-luck sign and grinned.

"Great!! Now that our communications are working alright, we know that we're ready to go. Right!" Gohan replied in exclamation over the com. Carmelita and Sly smiled and fisted their hands over the steering levers.

"_**RIGHT!"**_ Gohan heard the two voices come in unison over his ear pieces. The young Saiyan chuckled and focused back on the path ahead. Reaching close to the perimeters edges, the three planes made a sharp turn to the left, changing course and heading back the way they had come. The perimeters were marked on the maps they were given before they had taken off and the distances they would need to travel were inscribed in the dials of their control consoles. Having perfected the arts of flying in the hazard room after numerous tests given to them by Bentley, they could fly these things like bicycles.

As they headed straight along their next route, they suddenly heard Dimitri's voice come up in their ear pieces and on instincts, listened in one what the iguana had to announce.

"_**Welcome one and all ACES dog fighting champions! Its time for some sweet, action-reaction bros! So let's get this party started! Team Cooper against Team Black Baron! The fighters are out and now the skies are filled with the DANGER!"**_ Dimitri sung over the com link he had with the fighter pilots and with the rest of the crowds gathered in the stadium seating's below. Gohan and Sly chuckled at Dimitri's amusing back-street talk but had to admit, it did add some 'color' to the competitions that went out. But then again, it was a bit of a mood killer. _**"OK pilots, time to go at it like birds over a worm! Remember, leave the battle perimeter, and your team is disqualified, that goes for all of you hip-hoppers up there. Make sure all gadgets and gizmos are up and running and that your team mates are in sync with each other, get it dudes! Balloon cameras are set up and are filming you right now, so give the audience a show to remember! Ready, set…BEGIN!!!"**_ Dimitri finally exclaimed after passing on his instructions to the teams.

Losing their connection with the iguana for now, Carmelita turned to both her wing men and nodded. "Alright boys, lets light the sky with lead and writing! Remember: take out the Baron's wing men first! I'll handle the Baron myself if you don't mind", Carmelita exclaimed. Sly and Gohan grinned, nodding in agreement.

"Sure thing Carm", Gohan replied.

"We'll let you take the credit here. The Baron is yours. Call us in if you need us", Sly also replied. Carmelita smiled. She knew they wouldn't interfere with her affairs, knowing that she would shoot them down without hesitation. But then again, she wouldn't do that to her friends.

"OK, take up formation 5 and break off on my command", she instructed. With that, Sly and Gohan increased distance between their central commander and spaced themselves out. They made sure to give each other enough room to make evasive maneuvers if attacked from behind or from all sides. Their planes were capable of performing high risk moves but the fact remains that the team was still unnumbered. So, they had to keep on their toes and make sure not to get caught in the sights of any of the Baron's elite fighter pilots.

The three planes flew together in a straight line, heading through the clouds and keeping a lookout for Black Baron and his crew. For minutes they flew straight head, looking through the thick whiteness with the endless blue horizon imprinted in the background. It was only a few seconds later did they finally spot their opponents: a squad of seven bi-planes coming in from the distance. All of them were formulated according to their leader's orders with of course the leader flying ahead and in the centre. The Baron's plane was a tri-plane, painted black with his symbolic mark on each wing. It looked to be the most formidable of the group. But like all fighters, it was not indestructible. Carmelita focused her sights on the entire squadron and when she finally marked out the rest of the fighters around the Baron's plane as no threats, she pulled her goggles over her eyes and made contact with the rest of her team using their frequency.

"Alright boys, lets give them a shotgun greeting they'll not soon forget!" Carmelita stated firmly. Sly and Gohan readied themselves, the two of them pulling their goggles over their eyes and preparing to jump into action. Their hands tightened around the handles of their steering wheels of their air-craft, their fingers lingering around the triggers. Carmelita felt their urges to do battle, and so did she. But her target was not just any fighter; it was the one in her sights right now.

The Black Baron could see his adversaries too as clear as they could see him. He looked along the line of fighters flying all around him and smirked. His mustache twitched and his thumbs flicker along the handles of the stirring device of his aircraft. His control console was a bit more high-tech then expected but that was only because he had installed some new systems to his plane. But fight in the sky should be fought fairly; the new systems were just to help him out of any sticky situations. Tapping his communicator, he made contact with the rest of his squadron and wing men.

"Alright men, lets make this quick and painless for our adversaries. Remember, I want them all brought down by the count of ten. Any failures, and I will dismiss you all, do you understand", the Baron threatened towards his team mates. His entire squad was true and firm to the Baron's word and in a respectful gesture, all nodded.

"_**Yes Sir!"**_ the replied in unison. The Baron nodded, his goggles flashing as a ray of light passed him. He brought his arms and elbows up and eased his shoulders. The stench of battle was upon him as his opponents closed in on them. He was close, and he knew it.

"Bah! Break up and engage the enemy! ATTACK!" The Baron cried, punching his plane to full speed and pulling the triggers. Immediately the four guns built into the front of his plane let loose a barrage of deadly 50 millimeter heavy machine gun rounds, the orange bolts soaring through the air and straight at the target centered in his sights. That target was to no surprise Carmelita as she was the head fighter pilot.

The other fighters around the Baron unleashed their wrath upon the unsuspecting enemy, their heavy caliber rounds soaring through the air straight for their opponents. The Cooper gang was met with a hail storm of enemy fire, their planes averting slightly through the air to avoid the incoming shots and perhaps move out of their line of fighter. They just a little far out of accurate range of the Black Baron's fighters. Gohan and Sly eagerly awaited Carmelita's command to attack, but the fox was holding up a few seconds. As time ticked along, the competitors closed in on each other, the rapid increase of projectile fire unnerving Sly and Gohan. Carmelita, seeing their opponents close in long enough, gripped the handles of her fighters and gritted her teeth. With a sense of instinct crossing her, she shouted.

"NOW! Break off formation and attack!" she yelled. That was all Gohan and Sly needed and in return, blasted away at their opponents. The fours guns of all three planes lit up with thunderous effects, their yellow blasts passing by orange bolts of projectiles shooting through the air straight for their opponents. The Black Baron's fighters met this return fire, the bullets chipping their wings and surface plating's. The Baron ducked slightly as bullets shot past him and with keen eagerness to engage his opponents, broke off from his squadron, doing a summersault to avoid any more damage. The rest of his squad broke up as well, zooming out of enemy fire range. Gohan and Sly followed, continuously firing short bursts whenever a fighter came into their sights. Because they were outnumbered two to one, the fighters that scattered went everywhere, most of them evading their crosshairs.

The Black Baron had flipped out of the fight and began flying outwards, attempting to come back around and attack one of his enemies from behind. Unfortunately, this tactic was not to as he suddenly became the receiving end of a barrage of enemy fire from one Carmelita. The fox, swift and decisive as she was, had managed to catch up with her prey and now began chasing the Black Baron through the skies. The two fighters shot through the clouds at extremely high speeds, one fighter trying to outflank the other. The Baron glanced behind him to see the black and gold fighter chasing after him and cursed at his luck, hitting the accelerators to evade the fox's deadly fire. Orange rounds shot past him, some of them striking at his tri-planes wings. Carmelita smirked, making a sharp turn to the right, following the very evasive Baron. Gohan and Sly of course were engaging in a fierce battle themselves.

Gohan's opponents were slick bums. Just because he was a good fighter pilot in the air himself didn't mean his opponents were also good. Now he knew how tough the wars were back in their hay-days. These pilots were well trained, and the black-bi plane he was chasing happened to be avoiding and tumble rolling out of all of his bursts of fire. Narrowing his eyes on the rear of the plane in his sights, he steered and attempted to chop out the guys tail fins. Unfortunately, the guy happened to slow down and come so close that Gohan was forced to slow to his speed. Suddenly, the guy made a sharp right turn through the skies, his plane tilting so that it skimmed the air like a surfer, dropping altitude at a rapid rate. Gohan increased his velocity and flew after him, taking the same route as he did. In this right maneuver, Gohan's opponent flew back into his sights and when he was sure he could hit him, Gohan pulled the triggers. His four 50 caliber machine guns lit up, launching hails of fire on their target. Unfortunately, Gohan watched his shots fly behind and beyond its target, barely grazing it.

The bi-plane then made a sharp tumble turn to the left, changing course at a dangerous speed. Gohan followed, not performing the same move but instead, flying back to engage his opponent again. But just as his opponent came back into his crosshairs, Gohan got the biggest surprise he'd ever get at this level when the fighter in front of him pulled up, not sharply but shot at an accelerated speed upwards at an even level. Gohan saw the pilot spin around in his seat and suddenly pull up the rear gun that most of the bi-planes Gohan had encountered were armed with. The pilot loaded the rear gun with a loud click and began bombarding Gohan's plane below him, firing rapid bursts of fire at the lower altitude fighter. Gohan reacted to this and spun out of the bullets range, pulling up so to pull his opponent back into his sights. With the bi-plane's pilot working away feverishly at his rear gun, Gohan fired off a long burst of fire, gritting his teeth in concentration.

"Hammer down", Gohan shouted, pulling on the triggers again when he saw his previous rounds miss. This longer burst of orange machine gun fire hit on home, the rounds sawing across the tail fins, battering em' up badly while turning the right wing into Swiss cheese. The last seconds of this longer burst marked across the left two wings of the bi-plane, dotting it with heavy damage. The results of this sawed the entire left wings off of the plane. The engines of the plane went off with a bang when the bullets sawed off the wings and as a further result, the plane suddenly began to spin out of control. Gohan had to avoid the flying debris that had broken off of the plane.

The pilot of the struck down plane had the pull himself back into submission and return to his control panel. But as his plane spun out of control, it began to plummet to the earth below. Within seconds, his plane disappeared from sight beyond the clouds. Gohan followed the planes smoking trail before it vanished beyond his sights. He whistled in admiration at his handy work, seeing how dangerous these competitions really could be. Well, what do you expect after drilling tons of holes into your opponent with 50 millimeter bullets?

More seconds past as the plane's whistle from its fall was heard. Some time later, there was a bang and a loud explosion, the echoing sound of the plane coming in contact with the ground. Gohan twitched his eyebrows and chuckled, rubbing the back of his head in nervousness. "Well, I guess the pilot will become more acquainted with the ground now. Guess he know the true meaning of a land mark…OH SHIT!!!" Gohan gripped his handle bars hard again and spun through the air, dropping altitude when two Black Baron fighter planes came diving down from the skies above, their guns blazing away. Gohan had to dive to avoid the hails of gun fire and had moved just in time to avoid them. The two plans shot after him, diving down and spinning through the air before leveling out again. With a loud thrust of power, the two bi-planes flew after Gohan's plane, forcing the young Saiyan into retreat.

Sly of course was having different troubles. He too was chasing after one of his fighter opponents, but in turn was being chased by another. At the same time as avoiding deadly rains of fire, he was busy hammering away at the fighter in front of him. He growled as he turned his joy stick left and right, busy avoiding bullets shooting through the air coming from behind. His plane spun around a full 360 degrees, more bullets merely grazing the underbelly of his plane in that stunt. His battle had taken him further away from the rest of his action and already he was sweating. He didn't know the condition Carmelita and Gohan were in, but he sure knew his.

Following his opponent, Sly managed to shake off his opponent for only a brief moment, but he knew it wouldn't be long before the black bi-plane locked onto him again. While leveling out with his opponent who was shooting through the air at a faster speed, Sly loaded his heavy weapons again and locked onto his opponent. His eyes hardened as he stared out at the rear fins of his target. His eyes flickered with mischief and a smirk crossed his lips. This was it, he had to fire now!

"Eat lead", he shouted. With a loud echo and a click of the trigger, his guns burst into life. The exploding sound the projectiles made sent chills of excitement down his spine as the bullets shot straight into the rear of the aircraft in front of him. The orange barrage punched holes straight into the rear of the bi-plane, as well as damages the bases of the guy's wings. The pilot of the air-craft never knew what hit him when he suddenly felt the entire rear of his aircraft explode. A shower of sparks engulfed him as smoke clouded his vision and debris flew everywhere. Sly yelled in surprise from the sudden explosion and flipped over the air-craft now spinning out of control, throwing out debris and smoke as it spun through the air. Sly fortunately by-passed the spinning plane without any problems, but it didn't go the same for the guy who had been chasing him moments before.

The spiraling Black Baron plane was so out of control that its smoke blinded the other fighter who had been able to follow his opponent again. It was rather unfortunate that Sly had managed to shoot out of sight beyond the flying wreckage of the flaming plane but it was a rather big stroke of bad luck that the wreckage of the flame had managed to find the other guy. The Black Baron pilot in the plate cried in shock before his plane struck his spinning comrade head on. Another loud explosion followed when both planes made contact, sending more debris everywhere. The fighter that hit the spiraling plane had its wings sawn off and his propellers screwed up. The guy managed to jump out of his now falling wreckage, but the other guy who got hit a second time was thrown out when his spiraling plane struck his friend. Both of them fell several hundred meters before putting their parachutes into action. The two floated out of harms way and back down to earth, Sly watching the two flaming wreckages of their planes fall to earth in a splendid display of fire and light.

Sly whistled at the sight and shook his head. "I hope those two manage to get back on their feet after they had landed. That would definitely put them off flying for a while", Sly said to himself. With that, he smirked and pulled back to the battle, intent on finding his other opponent. The sounds of gunfire continued to ring out around him as he sensed Carmelita and Gohan doing battle with their opponents.

Back to Gohan's fight, he was currently on the run as he found himself hard pressed into a run. Two fighters were attacking him from behind in unison, being sure to try and pick him off piece by piece. By all means, they were hoping to put minor damage on him little by little that it would cripple him out of the fight and make an easy target in the end. Well, that wasn't going to happen. Gohan's quick reflexes managed to pull him out of harms way as he watched the bullets shoot by him in slow motion. Thanks to his inhumane strength, it gave him flight capabilities far beyond any other pilot on the face of this planet.

Spinning through the air to avoid another hail of bullets, Gohan punched his plane to full speed. He felt a rush of wind as his plane shot forward, closely followed by his attackers. Their planes accelerated to his speed, both of them wanting to end his rain on this battle as soon as possible. Gohan smirked and glanced in the rearview mirror of his plane. He could see the. two of them chasing after him at all haste, their minds clearly focused on him. Glancing behind him to get a better view, Gohan chuckled. Despite the incoming bullets shooting straight past him, he retained a calm and collected mood.

"Right this way", he exclaimed in a whisper.

Seeing them heading straight for him at top speeds, he decided to kick his next trick into action. Turning forward and fumbling with his controls again, Gohan waited for the two fighters to space out again and with a few adjustments to his speed and velocity, changed the weight balance of his aircraft. With a sudden choke of the engine, Gohan shut down his engine, his plane slowing down rapidly. The two bi-planes following him were shocked when their opponent's plane passed them by. The two enemy planes shot past Gohan completely as the young Saiyan weaved backwards right through the large gap they had made. Gohan managed to switch his engine back on just in time to retake the altitude and speed he had lost, his propeller immediately hitting high speeds, throwing his plane forward and towards his opponents.

With both planes appearing in his crosshairs, Gohan pulled the triggers and hammered the rear of the plane on his left. Gohan chipped the wings and tail fins of the plane on his left, smoke appearing and a fire suddenly bursting up at the front of the pilot. The plane made several heavy choking sounds before it suddenly dived towards earth far below, its right wing detaching from its primary body. Gohan evaded sharply to the right to avoid the smoke and fire in the sky that had appeared from the explosion on board the now troubled fighter plummeting towards earth. Coming back to the attack, Gohan engaged the last fighter in his sights and smirked, pulling down on the triggers and unleashing another barrage of gunfire.

"Hammer down!!" he shouted, the bullets shooting through the air directly at their target. The shots bombarded the plane, punching holes all over it. The pilot ducked and yelled in shock from the attack, attempting to make an evasive move to avoid more damage. Unfortunately, he was too caught up in the vicious assault and seconds later, his entire plane exploded. He managed to jump out of the explosion and dive down to earth just as his plane was engulfed in a ball of fire and smoke. Flaming debris started falling towards the planet below. The Black Baron team pilot managed to pull his parachute out and throw it into the fray. He was safe.

Gohan smirked. He received an even greater satisfaction when his ear pieces crackled to life and Bentley's voice appeared on the air, the turtle sounding rather impressed. _**"Excellent work Gohan! That would surely cripple the Baron for life. I've never seen such superb flying",**_ Bentley exclaimed. Gohan nodded, removing his goggles and slowing his speed down. He had a rather proud smirk on his face as he couldn't help himself but compliment himself for his craft work.

"Thanks Bentley. Hey, that was a nice hit with Muggshot's goons you pulled off as well. You're as good a shot as Carmelita and Videl. I'm sure they won't be showing their faces around here again. Anyway how's Carmelita and Sly doing", asked Gohan. Bentley smirked and began typing into his laptop. He was stationed at ground level and was currently looking up on how the battles in the sky were doing. So far, there was no trouble. But it wouldn't be long until the Baron starts taking desperate measures to win.

"_**They're doing fine Gohan. But keep an eye out for any more enemy aircraft. The baron is almost threw, and it won't be long till he pulls out another one of his treacherous moves", **_Bentley replied. Gohan nodded.

"Alright, you just have those windmill sling shots set up, I'll look out for Sly", Gohan replied. Cutting off connections, Gohan kicked his thrusters into action and shot through the air on the lookout for his friends. If it was necessary, he would give them the help they would need.

So far, the dogfight between Carmelita and the Black Baron had toned down from fierce to another chase. Both fighters have switched ends, flipping over each other and allowing a few shots to be fired at the other. Carmelita had inflicted the most damage on her opponent and the Black Baron was already spluttering out smoke and fuel. Evading another barrage, the Baron started to go on a high speed run to get away from his approaching opponent. Unfortunately for him, when Carmelita was on your tail, it was hard to shake her off. Sly and Gohan have learnt from experience. Just as expected, Carmelita managed to glue herself onto the Black Baron's tail again and with a wild smirk, fired off another lethal barrage, bombarding her opponent with bullets.

These shots took effect instantly, a small choke and an explosion occurring somewhere along the side of the Baron's plane. The damage had been taken to an all new level as the plane began to feel the pains. The Black Baron chocked on the spluttering smoke and cursed, shaking his head. "Darn, that fox is good! But then again, she is apart of the Cooper gang!" Having been pushed under enough pressure, the Black Baron fixed onto a new frequency and made contact with his competition defenders and secret services. "Gun ships, converge on my position and destroy the Team Cooper aircrafts. Send in a spare plane while you're at it!"

Looking into the distance beyond the perimeter of the ACES fighting area, the Baron spotted out two giant blimps entering the area, followed by a B737 passenger airliner. All three aircraft were imprinted with the Black Baron's 'BB' fighting signs, showing who they belonged to. The audience was unaware of these new elements to the field and concentrated on the dogfights going on high above. They were in awe at how much action and speed was thrown into this fight. The Baron had to drop altitude and move out of the clouds to make visual contact with the aircrafts he had called into the arena and was beyond delighted to see them. Carmelita was still hot on his tail and soon enough after breaking out of the clouds, also spotted the three aircraft.

The pilots of the blimp gun ships received the Black Baron's transmission and were without hesitation on their way to aid their leader. _**"Roger Baron, gun ships are on the way!"**_ The Baron was relieved at his gun ship commander's quick push into action and their showing up onto the field. However, the Baron was soon to find that victory for him was not on everyone else's minds today. Things at this point weren't to go swimmingly from now on.

"_**Sorry Baron, but you'll have to fight fair this year", **_came a voice over the Baron's ear pieces. Ironically enough, that voice happened to be Bentley's and the Baron was startled beyond belief.

"What! How did you get this frequency?! NO! STOP!" the Baron shouted, suddenly spotting the trouble occurring beyond the perimeter. By coincidence, their happened to be a windmill stationed in the valleys close to the towers circulating the ACES competition ring. The windmill, one which Bentley happened to have hacked into suddenly started to go haywire. The overload in the windmills internal power source sent the fins of the windmill spinning to propeller like speeds. There was a loud crack as wood split from wood and the fins making up the main part of the windmill were sent skyward. As if it were thrown with a mind of its own, the spinning fins were sent plummeting straight towards the two lined up gun ships. A split second later, the fins of the windmill struck the gun ships like a ninja-star, the gas in the gun ships igniting and exploding. The gun ships were obliterated, their remains falling to the earth in a bright orange glow of fire.

The Baron growled in irritation when he saw his gun ships burn to the ground but relaxed when he saw the plane he had called in begin to circulate the field. Of course, it was waiting for him to intercept it so it could exit the place as the victor. The Baron sighed. "Gah, this plane has come unfixed, high time for an upgrade I say", the Baron exclaimed, twitching his mustache. With a low chuckle, the Baron made a decisive dive for his new plane. Picking up speed, the Baron eased up alongside the massive jet and, pulling up sharply, jumped down towards the plane's wing. He landed lightly on the jet's wing and stood back up. With a satisfied laugh, he began walking across the wing, all the while watching his tri-plane vanish into the distance before exploding.

While he was walking across the wing, he suddenly heard a distant yell and spun around, looking up into the sky above. Despite the high winds almost blowing him off of the wing, he suddenly saw a certain fox gliding through the air before she came to land a few meters in front of him on the same wing. Fortunately, Carmelita had been carrying a similar paraglider as Sly's but was painted in her colors. When she landed, she stood up and glared over at the Baron standing several meters away from her. "Oh no you don't you weasel!"

The Baron chuckled and thumbed at his chest. "Weasel?! Am I?!" he asked in a sarcastic tone of voice, his accent still flared up to it's fullest. Carmelita smirked and crossed her arms. Her shock pistol side arm was holstered on her utility belt at her side, meaning that she was armed and ready to take on anything this Baron character would throw at her. She sort of revealed it to show what the Baron was up against. Well, she had already proven to be a very powerful adversary so far but was up for some more fighting. Unbeknown to the group, Sly and Gohan were circulating the skies above them, watching the pair of them interact on the jet's wing below.

"I beat you, your bi-plane is in pieces", Carmelita stated, pointing at the Baron with a hint of pride in her eyes. Her tail swished behind her and her hair blew in the winds. Her ears also twitched. The Baron chuckled and pointed out the skies around them.

"Ah-ha, but we are still airborne aren't we!? The victor has yet to be decided", he replied, placing his hands on his hips, fisting them. Carmelita's stare suddenly turned into a leer and in anticipation, took a combat fighting stance. She held up her fists and glared over at the Baron across from her.

"Then, let's settle it, right here, right now!" she said in a deadly voice that promised trouble. The Baron smirked under his mustache and fisted his own hands, taking his own stance.

"Beware milady, I've trained ten years in fisticuffs, pugilism is my passion", he exclaimed, his goggles flashing with a strange light at the prospect of this showdown. Carmelita grinned.

"If you fight as well as you fly, then this shouldn't take long", she stated. The Baron reacted to this in kind and approached her, keeping his guard up.

"Very well then. ENGUARD!!" he shouted, closing in on the weary fox before him. Carmelita's look hardened and she took a firmer stance. She was sure to be cautious with this character. Every other competitor she and the others have faced in the past were tough, all of them posing a big challenge. But then again, she had another thing going for her. The gang had beaten each character confronted from Sir Raleigh to Clock-la. This wouldn't take long, she was sure of it.

Before she could approach in turn, her friends' voices suddenly came on the air, all of them concerned for her safety. Who wouldn't be. A fight about to commence on the right wing of a jet flying through the air at over 200 kilometer per hour and flying at a height of 1300 feet. Sure, it was more fun then alright! _**"Be careful Carmelita, he looks mean",**_ Sly shouted over the air.

"_**Just to let you know Carmelita he's a master boxer. Judging from his stance, I'd say advanced league", **_Gohan commented, making sure to point out the obvious to the fox. Carmelita began to circulate, closing in on her opponent. At the same time, she listened in one what her friends had to say. _**"Listen, his power level may not be as high as I believe it to be but he looks like he can withstand some powerful blows. Wait for him to come in for an attack, and while he is pulling back, attack with ferocity, it should be able to knock some sense into him!"**_

Carmelita nodded affirmatively, hearing Gohan's advice loud and clear. "Got it Gohan, just leave it to me", she replied. Suddenly, the Black Baron came in for the attack, throwing a jab out at her and a right hook. The punches came in swift and with powerful movements. Carmelita let out a startled gasp but back off a bit, avoiding the punches before coming in with a few combinations to the Baron's head. Her punches made contact, a right punch, a left hook, a right uppercut and a left jab. Her attack smacked the Baron hard and surprisingly managed to stagger the guy. He backed off from the blows but when Carmelita came in with another right punch, he grabbed her fist with his left and sent a hook across her face. Carmelita staggered from that but managed to pull herself back into submission. Growling, she came in with another punch, yanking her fist out of the Baron's hand and sending it into his face.

The blow sent the Black Baron staggering back across the wing before he fell back onto his rear end with a thud and a grunt. With a groan, the Baron rubbed his head before looking up. He saw Carmelita approaching him quickly, her fists raised and a serious expression on her face. With a unimpressed grunt, the Baron got to his feet and raised his fists again, glaring at Carmelita hardly. With a low yell, the Baron leapt at Carmelita and sent a upper cut at her, Carmelita blocked it and retaliated with two punch to his chest and face, the Baron taking the punches to the face but didn't anticipate the swift blows to his head. However, he managed to pull himself out of it and retaliated by grabbing Carmelita's shoulder with his right before coming at her with a swift elbow to her face. Carmelita yelped in pain when she was struck across the face and was sent to the side from the blow. The Black Baron then followed through by pulled her back up and, still holding her, sent three more punches to her face before sending a hook, all with his left. Carmelita fell back from that but sat up, shaking her head and looking back up in surprise. She was bruised but not bleeding.

She saw the Baron running at her, his hands cupping and raising above his head in a strike. Carmelita scowled and, with a powerful thrust, she sent a seated left roundhouse kick at his legs. She knocked him off balance a bit, allowing her to leap back to her feet. Cranking her legs back, she got up before taking a stance and grabbing the Baron's shoulders. By doing this, she was able to keep him still. After which she hammered his face with four hooks across his face. She advanced in attack while he backed down, and when he was knocked into a daze, she grabbed his head and head butted him, managing to stagger him even more. But he managed to pull himself out of his predicament and threw two straight punches across Carmelita's unguarded head. She received and took them but retaliated by grabbing his fist and pulling him down, thrusting her knee into his chest. The Baron chocked and draped his hands over his gut, backing off. While he was keeled over, Carmelita threw began hammering away at his head with punches: straight blows, upper cuts, hooks, whatever. The Baron was thrown back again when Carmelita threw a right roundhouse kick up at his face.

The blow was tremendous but the Baron managed to support himself by landing against the side of his plane. Shaking his head, he looked up to see Carmelita skipping on the spot, fists raised. Scowling, the Baron pushed himself back up and ran at her, giving her a right upper cut. Carmelita side stepped it and came in with a left hook to his face. The Baron ducked under it and sent a left punch at her before coming back up with a right hook. Carmelita was hit in the face by both punches but sent a right elbow across his face when he got back up to level with her. He received both blows and was sent staggering back again to fall victim to a sharp body shot to his left when Carmelita charged him down. He recovered quickly though, just in time to avoid two hooks thrown by the fox. He came back with a swift jab, only to get punched in the face again. Shaking their heads the Black Baron and Carmelita glared each other down, on the defensive and waiting for the other to attack. If fate should have it, Carmelita attacks again, coming in and sending a straight kick down at the Baron's leg. She crippled him, knocking him to his knees before beginning to pound away at his face with mind-boggling blows that would make even Sly cringe.

After which continuously receiving Carmelita's punishing blows, the Black Baron saw through the fox's attacks and sent a straight punch right through her attacks when they stopped, knocking her back with that surprise punch. Getting to his feet, the Baron cracked his knocked before running straight at her, coming in with a dive. Carmelita yelled and moved out of the way, seeing him get to his feet after sliding across the smooth metal surface of the wing. Letting out a growl, the Baron turned around, just in time to be met with a fist in the face. He was sent back from the blow, but with endurance never expected by the fox, kept his footing.

Finding himself pinned between the sky and Carmelita in front of him, the Baron resulted to an even more drastic move. Leaping into the air, the baron suddenly came down with a powerful stomp. Not aiming for Carmelita, he directed his attack towards the wing itself. With a loud bang of metal and a heavy object, the plane suddenly shook, knocking Carmelita off balance and dropping her guard. Sly was worried she might actually fall over the edge, but what happened was far more relieving yet still painful. The Baron came at her when he noticed her guard had dropped and sent a punch right into her face. He then followed through with his assault, sending an upper cut to her stomach area and a couple of hooks across her face. Carmelita yelped with pain from all his attacks before she was knocked onto her back when he sent a final right punch to her face. When she sat up, she shook her head and looked back up. To her surprise, the Baron had leapt into the air and was now coming down at her with a knee, intent on crushing her. Well, he was to find that being wrestled to defeat was not going to win this fight.

Reacting quickly, Carmelita threw both her feet up, knocking the Baron in mid-flight and kicking him over her, the Baron letting out a yell as he went rolling across the wing of the plane. The Baron managed to get back to his feet, at the same time, Carmelita leapt back into a standing position. They both spun around at the same time before running at each other. Both of them were covered with bruises, especially Carmelita since her face was the only visible one. The two of them engaged in a grappling match, Carmelita locking her hands around the Baron's neck and, holding him in place with her right around his throat, began throwing punches at him with her left. The Baron at the same time had grabbed her shoulder with his left hand and was continuously throwing upper cuts into her stomach. Thuds rang out as blows connected. The winds were all but ignored and the fact that the two of them were up high in the sky was completely forgotten.

Though this bashing lasted for only a minute or so, Carmelita emerged as the victor in this one and managed to push the Baron back, sending a right elbow across his face before suddenly punching him across the face with a well placed, left hook. The Baron staggered back and coughed, shaking his head. He wobbled on the spot where he stood for a moment with Carmelita standing where she was, fists raised and a glare in place. Seconds later, the Baron's legs buckled and he fell to his knees, groaning in agony. "Gaarrgghhh…a fatal blow", he managed to choke out. Carmelita glared at him, keeping her guard up for any surprise attacks.

Suddenly, the Baron did something much unexpected. Reaching up with his left and right hand, the Baron suddenly pulled of his goggled pilot mask and his mustache, the two pieces of facial disguises lifting free. Still on his knees, the Baron revealed who he truly was behind the mask and believe it or not, he was a…she!? The blonde haired, anthropomorphic mouse coughed on some fake hair in her mouth and shook her head, looking up at Carmelita with a defeated look on her face. She had a couple of bruises on her cheeks but she was alright.

"That's enough, you win Carmelita", the mouse said, clearly defeated. Carmelita stuttered in surprise, pointing down at her.

"WAIT?! You…you're Penelope, the Baron's mechanic. No…no you ARE the Black Baron", Carmelita said with a success, a smile on her face but was still rather surprised. Penelope smiled a small smile and shrugged, blinking a few times.

"Suppose someone was bound to find out sooner or later, I guess I'm kind of relieved", she replied. Carmelita looked puzzled.

"But uhh…why", she questioned. Penelope shrugged again indifferently to before.

"Look, let's talk on the ground where it's safe…"

* * *

_**Gohan's thoughts…**_

"It was quite a revelation, the Black Baron and Penelope was one in the same. However, before we could process this turn of events, we were rushed to the winners circle. The ACES competition was over, and against all odds, the Cooper gang emerged as this year's champions. We were overjoyed by this fact and Penelope personally announced our victory. Carmelita, being the one to defeat the Black Baron was awarded the team's trophy while the rest of us received congratulations and medals. Videl, Sly, Murray, Carmelita and I were pleased by the fact that they had won but Bentley and the Guru were rather surprised, not being used to having thousands of people flashing cameras at us."

"There was a bit of an awkward moment between Bentley and Penelope. I guess the photos they had sent each other over the internet were a bit…exaggerated. To the truth, Bentley was just our friend in a wheelchair while Penelope was a mouse dressed in a mechanics outfit. Well, you know how it goes, you win and few and lose a few."

"Getting down to business, Penelope took us back over to the Black Baron's castle and got down to her story. She explained to us that the ACES competition had strict age requirements, meaning that she wasn't able to fly. This was why she had to disguise herself as the Black Baron to get through, and after her first victory, the Black Baron became a celebrity. She found herself putting on the costume more and more often. But now, with the Black Baron out of the picture, she was free to take up a new path, and she joined the team without hesitation."

"Our new team member treated us to a week long tour of Holland. I had reason to believe that her eyes may have fallen on Sly, given my friends character and personality. But when she discovered that Sly was already taken, she turned her attention back to Bentley. Even though he wasn't what he had seemed, I think she found a liking to him, much to my friends surprise and internal delight. Penelope had also taken a liking to Videl and Carmelita, the three girls talking about stuff guys usually wouldn't get themselves involved in."

"She was fitting in just fine…!"

* * *

**Cooper gang:**

_Sly Cooper: 1,500_

_Murray: 1,950_

_Bentley: 325_

_Carmelita Fox: 1,100_

_Videl Satan: 1,200_

_Penelope: 300_

_Guru: 200_

_Gohan: 210,000,000_

_Super Saiyan Gohan: 420,000,000_

_Super Saiyan 2 Gohan: 650,000,000_

_Super Saiyan 3: 2,800,000,000_

**Super villains:**

_Octavio: 2,100_

_Octavio (sonic waves): 1,000_

_Mask of Dark Earth: 5,000_

_Mask of Dark Earth (dingo miner): 300,000,000_

_Black Baron: 1,000_

**Other:**

_Octavio's spotlight guards: 250_

_Octavio's pigeon guards: 150_

_Octavio's riot guards: 160_

_Vincinette gang members (each): 1,000_

_Australian Army Mercenary's: 300_

_Miner spotlight guards: 260_

_Miner dingo guards: 200_

_Miner kangaroo guards: 210_

**Interpol:**

_Lt Gronk: 550_

_Mercenary apes (each): 400_

_Interpol officers: 215_

_Interpol cops: 200_

_Interpol Riot police: 350_

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED…


	29. A Cold Alliance

DRAGONBALL Z **meets **_**Sly Cooper**_

_**A COLD ALLIANCE**_

_**Sly's thoughts…**_

"Night after night Bentley continued rummaging through drawers and running through blue prints of Doctor M's fortress. Detailed fold outs of the defenses, armaments and landscapes were hung up all over the place as a show of what we were up against. Even Penelope found it hard to follow with what we were actually attempting to perform. This job was not going to be easy, fro all of us. With only a team of eight individuals, we needed to add another member to the group with the talents Bentley required to be able to complete the puzzle. By this, Bentley required the talents of a well trained and influenced character in the arts of field and subtle demolition skills."

"After careful analysis of Doctor's M's fortress, Bentley came to a difficult conclusion that his demolition skills were just not going to be enough. He informed us of our situation during Chinese takeout dinner. We listened in as he briefed us on this misfortune and we all agreed that we needed another team member. However, his proposed candidate came to Gohan as a shock as Bentley suggested his old enemy… the Panda King! Even I was shocked beyond belief that Bentley would bring up such a loose-cannon character, let alone suggest that he would be joining our gang!"

"Once a member of the original Fiendish Five, he played a part in taking out my dad, and stole the pages to some of the pages to the Thievius Raccoonus. Years later, we finally caught up with him and Gohan engaged the Panda King in a final show down. After a long, hard battle, Gohan eventually brought him down with his martial arts abilities and inhumane strength, and claimed back what the Panda King had stolen from me. He had his share of beatings. But there was no way I was going to let that monster on my team."

"Gohan argued over the fact of the Panda King joining the team and tried to convince Bentley that he would be able to bring down the defenses of Doctor M's fortress single-handedly. However, Bentley rebutted that a direct assault would be impossible and that any misguided attempts to try and storm the place would be out of the question. It was dangerous work, a mission that would probably insure the destruction of the entire island and everyone on it, including those stationed outside of it. The debate ended with hesitation. Bentley was firm about it. The Panda King of course was a master of demolitions and was able to create enough fire power to blow a hole, straight through to the centre of the earth. He also had subtle ways of using his fireworks for demolitions which was pure genius."

"We had recently gotten word that the Panda King had left his life of crime and was now living a life of quiet, peaceful meditation high up in the Kunlun Mountains. So, the gang whipped up some crafty disguises once more and hopped on a plane bound for our next destination. Next stop, China…"

* * *

_**Kunlun Mountains, China**_

_**Panda King's meditation shrine…**_

It was easy to say that Gohan felt right at home here. Having traveled the world and visited exotic places as well as trying unique brands of food, there was no place Gohan felt safer then in China. However, in past experiences and visits to this country, Gohan had found that not even the feeling of safety was enough to bypass the facts that there was still danger lurking around every corner. Marching for miles on end from the airport, the gang made there way up the high, vast mountains of Kunlun, heading deeper and deeper into unknown territory. The path they stuck to was a known route towards the Panda King's original hideout, things have changed.

Interpol's recent mission to this area led under the personal command of Videl had ensured a sure firm grip on the entire mountain regions. For years Interpol has scouted out the mountains and has been liberating towns and villages that have been under the Panda King's control, arresting all of his old forces. Now, all that was left of the Panda King's shattered empire was his gigantic statue and long destroyed damn. A Interpol winter base station nick-named _Bravo Base_ has been built out here in the mountains so to provide shelter for the weary mountain officers and Interpol patrols. The Cooper gang was sure to stay out of their sight and carried on through the mountain without trouble. Fortunately, the area they were headed to was not really on the map, but after careful searching, Bentley had found the Panda King's precise location.

It was a long walk, but the Team finally managed to find out where the Panda King was hiding out. A large valley hidden in the centre of the mountain ranges. It was a massive clearing with a lot of life and warmth being brought in from the surrounding environment. It was not on the map because it was a sacred shrine set up in secret by the Panda King himself where he planned to live the rest of is life at. The area wasn't as hilly as expected and held a lot of life here. Despite the various cliffs surrounding the area, creating a large wall obstacle, it was pretty quiet and peaceful out here. A river ran through the valley, creating a mote around the actual shrine itself. Bamboo trees grew out of the frozen lakes and the river, as well as other unique vegetation. There was a large prayer building built on the central island with a giant draw bridge beyond that. it had two Tiger guards patrolling it so to stop any unwanted intruders. Also, across the river and prayer island, there was a gigantic stone pillar that stuck out of the earth, surrounded by many other pillars. At the base of these giant structures was a thin layer of cool fog while at the top of the main pillar was another sacred building. This was the main shrine the Panda King used for his meditation. It happened to be the place where the Panda King himself was already at.

Silhouetted against the blue sky and white clouds stood the Panda King. Dressed in a respective, sacred, pure white outfit consisting of a robe with green dragon symbols and the spirits of the Chinese spiritual realm, the Panda King was unrecognizable. For starters, he had grown white hair tied back into a pony tail, had a beard and a mustache. Some would say this was not the actual Panda King, but underneath all his sacred robe attires and old appearances, this was definitely the once ruthless and powerful tyrant in his most weakened state.

Deeply caught up in his meditation, he was completely oblivious to everything going on around him. His guards were left with the orders to keep watch of the place and of course, dispose of any intruders. The Panda King had very little to fear of any intruders, but was to get the biggest shock of his life when the Cooper gang showed up on his door step.

Emerging from a cave in the side of the cliff face beyond the reach of the Panda King in his shrine on the other side of the river dividing the valley was the entire Cooper gang. A path led down from the entrance to the cave that also served as the exit out onto the sacred land. The first to emerge from the cave was Sly Cooper, accompanied by Gohan, Videl and Carmelita. Following shortly afterwards were Bentley, Murray, the Guru and Penelope. The group deposited themselves out onto the dirt ridden path before stopping side by side, amassed on the narrow path of earth. Immediately after sprinting out of the cave and stopping where they stood, they began looking out and around them at the clearing around them. They took in the magnificent sights laid out before them before turning to Gohan. The young Saiyan was weary, sensing the Panda King close by. He had a right to be cautious.

"Stay sharp team, for all we know, the Panda King is as dangerous as ever", Gohan warned, aware of the old martial artists abilities and strength. Bu despite the danger the Panda King posed before, Gohan sensed that the Panda King has really let himself go. The guy's power level had dropped dramatically and was incredibly low, but he was still quite strong. He was just lying to make sure that the team was alert and ready for action.

Bentley, looking straight ahead towards the pillars in front of them managed to spot the Panda King far away in the distance. He stared with a bit of admiration before pointing out towards the Panda King. "How can you say that Gohan, just look at him", Bentley exclaimed, drawing everyone attention towards the Panda King standing atop of the pillar encased by the wooden shrine. They were all surprised by the fact that Bentley had managed to spot him. The turtle smiled proudly and shrugged. "Have you ever seen anyone more at peace with the world?"

Videl placed her hands on her hips as she looked out towards the towering pillars, impressed by the way the Panda King had set up this entire area to suit his purposes. He definitely made sure that he wasn't interrupted by anyone or anything if he had built a large draw bridge to prevent anyone from getting up to him. "I have to admit, he does look a bit 'zenned-out'", Videl commented, crossing her arms. She no longer was armed with her new plasma-bolt Desert Eagles but with her old, familiar fire arms, as well as her Shotgun and belts of ammo.

Carmelita looked about the area one last time before crossing her arms, looking at it with a bit of perspective. Sure, it was nice, but it was too quiet for her taste. "Well, there aren't many guards hanging about, why don't we just get over there and get this over and done with. If we came here to get the Panda King onto our team, then I suggest we deal with this decisively", said Carmelita. Penelope looked over at the fox with a perplexed look on her face before pointing out the river and guards.

"Are you kidding?! We can't storm this place, the foundations don't look to good for us to walk over and the guards are sure to spot us and sound the alarm", Penelope exclaimed. Bentley nodded in agreement while Murray and the Guru listened in on the group debating among themselves. It was so much easier before when it was just the four of them, Sly, Gohan, Murray and Bentley. What happened to those days?

"Yes, but those guards can be dispensed with easily, but there is the problem with the river crossing. We may need to find an alternative way up to the Panda King's shrine. Murray nodded affirmatively.

"Alright…great! The walk up here tired me out! I don't want to turn around now! Man…I miss the van. We never had to walk anywhere back then", Murray sighed in disappointment and upset. Gohan gritted his teeth and looked back at the team nervously, worried that they would break out into another unnecessary resolve that he sure didn't want to get involved with. When Murray was upset it was hard to cheer him up again.

"OK…OK, let's not get too mixed up here! Let's just get the job done", Gohan stated. With simultaneous nods, the entire team headed back onto the path, sprinting down towards the bridge that crossed the first river and onto the island where the prayer building was and the draw bridge was build that would lead them up to the towering shrine. Their shadows followed them across the ground before vanishing into the mist that hung in the air. The mists were created by some nearby waterfalls and by the humidity the entire clearing absorbed. Of course, it was of no never kind to the Cooper gang as together, in a line, sprinted towards the sacred structures belonging to the Panda King.

Crossing the red, arch bridge that was built over the river, the gang split up around the area, working their way around the big building. The two Tiger guards were on the other side, changing shifts with each other. The gang was able to take alternative routes around the building so to ambush the guards. While Bentley, Penelope and Murray headed left, The Guru, Sly and Gohan went right. Carmelita and Videl however took a different path, leaping on top of the building and sprinting across it, getting into their planned positions. The two of them stopped on the ledge, the draw bridge pulled up in front of the two girls and the guards stationed on the stone path below. From the looks of it, they were caught up in an inaudible conversation between them. They were too caught up in their own business that they failed to notice the approaching threats around them.

Bentley wheeled out from around the building with Murray and Penelope hiding behind it. On the other side of the building from them, Sly, Gohan and the Guru were set up and waiting for the next move. Bentley took a quick look at both the Tier guards. They were dressed in respectful, Chinese body armor usually reserved for Samurai warriors but they didn't wear helmets and were armed with Kwan Do's, the same type the Panda King used against Gohan in the previous battle years before. Their armor colors were green, black and cold with their orange and black striped fur adding color to them.

Ignoring the looks, Bentley drew his Kar98 sniper rifle and, taking aim with the Tiger's back turned to him, fired. The bullet shot through the air and embedded itself in the back of the Tiger's head, blowing a hole straight through him and killing the guy instantly. Before the Tiger could drop to the floor and the other Tiger guard could recover from his shock, Videl leaned over the edge a bit on the building above the Tiger and drew her shot gun, cocking it and firing a lethal blast of pellets. The shot sent the Tiger staggering back before he collapsed in a pool of blood on the ground, dead.

With both guards incapacitated, Gohan, Sly, Guru, Murray, Penelope and Bentley moved in with Videl jumping off of the building above. Bentley had already unloaded the empty round from his rifle while Videl swung her shotgun onto her shoulder holster again. When they were all stationed under the building, Bentley turned to Murray and pointed out the two support beams set up one either side of the bridge. Murray turned two them with a curious expression on his face. Clearly he did not know what Bentley was trying to point out to him.

"Knock the support pillars on the draw bridge", Bentley instructed. Murray looked at him in surprise, raising an eyebrow.

"Really?!" Bentley scowled at him, laying his rifle onto his lap. Even Penelope looked over at Murray with a rather odd look on her face. Wasn't it obvious?

"Draw bridge destabilization is the quarter stone of this plan. Use your fists to knock them out of place", Bentley stated. The Guru nodded and briefly made one of his silently spoken, powerful comments. Whenever it came to these situations, he was always there to give his student some advice. This of course was one of those times where Murray was reluctant to use violence as a key point to his life.

"_Listen Murray, you must not be afraid to show true strength as it is sometimes a person's strongest trait. Use it wisely and with control great control, only then will you achieve success and victory over your adversaries", _the Guru stated. Murray grinned and cracked his knuckles, performing one of his heroic poses. Yes, maybe the Guru's words were a big spur of the moment.

"OK master…obstacles, pillars, walkways, bridges… PIECE OF CAKE", the hippo exclaimed, walking forward towards the closest of the poles that held the bridge in place. The Guru chuckled and shook his head while Videl and Gohan crossed their arms, amused looks on their faces. Bentley looked over at the Guru and shrugged.

"I know, sometimes you've just got to be firm", the turtle added.

Without a second to waste, Murray set to work. Cranking back his right fist, the hippo sent it into the wooden pillar, knocking it out of place as well as turning it into a pile of splitters. His punch was stronger then the team had expected, sending the piece of wood flying across the river where it struck the stone pillar the Panda King was stationed on. Unfortunately it had done nothing to shake the stone structure. Swiftly, Murray moved to the next one on the right side of the ramp. Performing the same warming up motion, the hippo pulled back his left fist, and with a growl, sent it at the pole. The same effects happened as its predecessor and without a second glance the pole was turned into a flying hail storm of wooden pins and splinters. It landed some distance away. With that accomplished, the bridge wobbled at the loss of balance but failed to fall. Murray however found a lot of enthusiasm out of that and yelled victoriously.

"Oh yeah, take that support beams. The Murray has broken you! Let that be a lesson to all poles, I will not be trifled with", the hippo exclaimed. Bentley smiled, seeing his friend act. Penelope however was a little freaked out by Murray's energetic behavior, but she guessed she would have to get used to it from now on. It was the task at hand that brought her back into the real world. Turning around, Penelope called up to Carmelita and directed her attention to the unstable draw bridge.

"Alright Carmelita, use your shock pistol and blast that bridge down. The explosive effects of your pistol's blast should be enough to knock it over, but be sure not to destroy it completely", Penelope called. Carmelita smiled and pulled out her pistol, twirling it in her right hand before aiming the sights directly towards the pinnacle of the still standing obstacle. The fox smirked deviously.

"I've perfected myself with over fifty weapons, I'm sure I can handle knocking down a bridge to cross", Carmelita replied. Clicking back the firing pin of her weapon and adjusting her scope, she fired her weapon. There was a loud boom and a giant ball of electricity escaped the muzzle of her weapon. The blast struck the bridge, disintegrating on impact but the shock wave caused by the impact was enough to knock the bridge over. The bridge fell down with amazing speed and crashed at the entrance point to the shrine atop of the standing pillar. The Panda King was alright, and from the look of it, hadn't noticed a thing.

Once the bridge had stabilized and the dust had cleared, Gohan, Sly, the Guru and Bentley took that as their queue. With Gohan at the front of the pack, he sprinted up the long bridge across the river upwards towards the shrine, the young Saiyan stopping in front of the Panda King. Sly stood on his left and a bit further away then hoped while the Guru stood at Gohan's right along with Bentley. The four examined the Panda King's peaceful state, his eyes closed and a relaxed expression drawn over his usual, enraged self. The Guru rubbed his chin, sensing a strange dream time connection.

"_My…it appears that this meditation is deep. The abysses of darkness extend further then I imagine",_ the Guru said. Bentley looked between the two and nodded, looking over the Panda King more thoroughly.

"I agree. It appears that the Panda King has subjected himself to a real deep meditation. It would be hard to wake him", Bentley informed. Sly shrugged indifferently while Gohan merely glared up at his old enemy. Even though he was aware of the Panda King's lack of strength, he knew that he was still a dangerous foe who was hard to beat. The Panda King's endurance made up for his slow attacks and overdone combinations.

"So let's just shout in his ear", Sly suggested. Bentley shook his head, looking rather annoyed.

"No! To break him out of this trance, we'll need to delve into his mind", the turtle responded. Gohan shrugged in a suggestive way.

"A hack saw then?" Bentley shook his head more and more, this time more fiercely to emphasize his point.

"No, this will require channeling. Gohan, sit in front of the Panda King! Guru, I'll need you to bridge their minds. Just make sure you convince the Panda King to get out of his dream world and back into reality", Bentley explained, pointing at Gohan and bidding him to be seated. Gohan, aware of the transmission effects of meditation sat cross-legged before the Panda King and closed his eyes, folding his arms over his chest as he always did. With Gohan in position, the Guru began twirling his cane, the moonstone spinning round and generating a purple-pink glow that filled the air, accompanied by mystical energies and sparks.

Visually, energy began to pass between the mind of the Panda King and Gohan. Slowly, the young Saiyan was pulled deep into a dark abyss as his mind traveled towards the Panda King's. Before long, Gohan had entered the dream world, a world beyond the physical world and spirit world itself…

* * *

_**Dream Realm**_

_**Panda King Flashback scenario…**_

The mind was a powerful thing, especially if you connected between the channeling of both Gohan's mind and the Panda King's dream world. It was here where things could go astray and could change rapidly. However, the world Gohan had been pulled into was all to familiar to him and was quite indifferent from the original dimension he had just come and crossed to here. it was a Flashback world, where old history was looked upon and the world as we know was black and white. Gohan could feel and sense it all around him, the mystical ki energies of a different world that was not his.

Around him, he stood in a very familiar place. it was the same place he had fought the Panda King before. Surrounded by the pillars supporting the ancient roof of the Panda King's temple, which was built on top of the giant statue Gohan had traveled to years before. Swords and other weapons were hung up on the surrounding pillars with many that were recognizable to the young Saiyan's eyes. This was the very centre of the Panda King's fire works operation, but yet it was a mere memory long remembered.

Just like how Gohan remembered it, he stood at the base of a series of progressing stone platforms that stood centered of the giant room. Pots, statues and other objects made up these platforms, creating the sacred training space the Panda King used. However, as Gohan looked about, he noticed that he retained his present form. He still wore the black and red gi, black mask, red pouch worn on the leg and twin swords flung onto his back. Everything from what he remembered wearing seconds ago was still on him. But when he looked up, he immediately saw the owner and source of this dream world. His eyes widened in surprise as he recognized the giant form of the old Panda King standing atop of the platforms, skipping on the spot and hands at his sides in a respectful fighting stance.

Upon seeing his opponent look up, the Panda King glared down at the young Saiyan with hatred seen many times before. Like before, Gohan sensed a powerful ki emitting off of the figure before him. It was different from a regular ki level but higher then normal, filled with the burning fires of hate. "I see you are a member of the notorious Cooper thief gang…Gohan. Have you come here to reclaim possession of the Thievius Raccoonus and avenge the death of your friend's father?" asked the Panda King in a deep, sort of slow voice. Gohan, fully coming to a complete understanding of his surroundings shook off his surprise and smiled, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow towards his adversary.

"Whoa, this is just like the time I beat the stuffing out of you", Gohan commented, making sure to drive some sense into the Panda King's mind. However, as it turned out, the Panda King was completely ignoring what the young Saiyan was saying and went on with his rambling.

The Panda King looked skeptical. "Why should you care if I bury a few worthless villages in the snow? You are a thief, just like me!" proclaimed the Panda King. Gohan stared at him oddly and looked left and right. No one else was here, but the Panda King was acting as if this was their first meeting and he was using the same lines that didn't make sense at all to the words Gohan was using. This was starting to freak Gohan out and he looked back at the Panda King with perspective of the situation.

"Umm, yeah are you even listening to what I'm saying", asked Gohan, a little worried. The Panda King scowled and clenched his fists, tightening them before unclenching them. He continued to hop on the spot, glaring his opponent down with seriousness and with a fighter's sense of sight. The fire burned deeply in his eyes and his ki took a dramatic shoot up.

The Panda King looked outraged, the same look he had many years before. "Insolent child, you shall pay dearly for your disrespect! Still, to honor you and your warrior like ancestry, I will send you to your doom with the beauty of my new fire work technique…FLAME FU!" The Panda King suddenly took a fighting stance and with a burst of power, a fire ball appeared in both his hands, lighting up the entire area in a deadly display of lights. Gohan's eyes widened at this and he took a step back. Just like before, all recited and the Panda King looked as dangerous as ever. Gohan had a feeling this was not going to end well.

"O-Oh…"

Scowling, Gohan took a stance and powered up, his aura fluctuating around him. iof the Panda King wanted to do this the hard way, then so be it. Just like before, Gohan knew he would win, but he had to get the Panda King out of this dream before his defeat, otherwise he would destroy the Panda King's already infuriated mind. If any of the Panda King's senses were to be thrown off then this entire world will be destroyed along with him. Gohan will not let it come to this point. Without the mind, the body will cease to exist. So, Gohan decided to do what he had done before, while trying to get the Panda King out of this mind fight.

"_I may have to repeat history, just to prove to him that I have beaten him before…"_

Bending low on his knees, the Panda King leapt into the air, at the same time, cranking both arms back and, one after the other, threw both fire balls straight at Gohan. The balls of flame shot straight at Gohan like bullets and, reacting quickly, Gohan leapt to the side, avoiding the blasts that exploded where he used to be standing. The explosive forces of the fire balls formed small, smoking craters. Gohan was relieved he avoided them but returned to the fight.

Rolling across the floor, Gohan positioned himself in a fighting stance and skidded slightly to a stop, keeping his eyes on the Panda King who landed back onto the centre platform and took his own fighting stance. Both fighters stared angrily at each other for a moment, the fighting sense in the air becoming intense. In a split second, Gohan shot straight for the Panda King, soaring across the ground and making his way level by level up to the Panda King standing at the top of the stair way platform in front of him. Cranking back his fist, Gohan prepared to punch his opponent, and with his momentum, he was expecting an amazing result.

The Panda King, seeing Gohan attacking did an amazing back flip and once he had backed off, through both his hands back then through them forward, both palms connecting as they slammed together, unleashing a powerful beam of flaming energy. The blast of fire shot straight at Gohan, the young Saiyan gasping in shock and, making a sharp change of course, vanished into super speed, appearing above the trailing beam of fire before diving down at the panda King who was still pouring fire energy into the beam, not noticing Gohan's disappearance.

Hearing and sensing Gohan coming from above, the Panda King looked up, only to get rammed in the face by a side kick initiated by Son Gohan. The Panda King immediately ceased his outpour of fire energy and staggered back from the kick, his face bruised up a bit and a look of surprise written on his face. Gohan landed after hitting the Panda King and, the instant he landed, shot forward, pulling back his fist. At this close range, he was bound to hit his opponent. However, just as he was about to strike at the Panda King, the fire works artist had managed to recover just enough from Gohan's kick and was able to send an attack of his own, A ki enflamed fist of fire straight at Gohan's face.

Gohan was caught completely off guard at the speed and strength of the Panda King and got himself hit big time by the attack. The blow was enough to send Gohan flying back in the opposite direction and, once he had lost a bit of his momentum from the blow, went skidding across the top platform, coming to a stop at the edge with a slightly burnt and bruised face. The Panda King grinned and dropped into a attack stance, balling both his fists and brandishing them in a threatening manner. He waited as Gohan dragged himself to his feet, shaking his head and rubbing his bruised face.

Looking up, Gohan growled and staggered to his feet. This was going exactly like before but Gohan knew he was stronger then this. He would not let the Panda King continue without getting at least some questions answered. He needed to achieve results and fast before this fight was pulled into a climax. He glared down at the Panda King and pointed at him. "Snap out of it, this fight is all in your head!" Gohan shouted. The Panda King hopped on the spot but stopped a second later, taking a much more firm stance. His fists balled at his sides and he glared hotly towards his opponent, determination written on his face.

"My mind is clear, focused on your destruction!!" The Panda King growled. Gohan shook his head and thought up something that might help him. The Panda King was tough, but he was even tougher. He had gotten much stronger since their last encounter, and if he was able to try and different matter then he might be able to snap him out of it.

In Gohan's head, he came up with a list of ways that would help convince the Panda King to stop this fight. He scratched his chin in thought, completely oblivious to everything else around him. The world wavered as time and paradox illusions crossed. _"I have to snap him out of his state of mind. I could try threatening him, but that might spur on the fight as he is too arrogant to admit his weaknesses. I could upset him, but that might result to an even more dangerous fight. Saying something from the past isn't going to help much, but maybe if I mess about with the fight a bit, I could come up with something. By choosing a different route, I could achieve different results. Man, why is it that the Guru's wisdom is still plastered in my mind? That guy is good…"_

Scowling, Gohan turned back to the Panda King. He decided to test his theory a bit and perhaps get the Panda King's attention through ways of kindness. However, Gohan retained his hardened glare. "Look, I'm here to help you, to get your mind out of this rut", Gohan explained. The Panda King snorted and dropped into another stance, a ball of fire appearing in both his palms and a gust of wind generated at his feet that circulated around him and engulfed him in a force field of power.

"If you truly wish to aid me…STAND STILL, and let my fire balls cook your flesh!!" Gohan growled in frustration at his efforts and powered up again, his aura flaring and blowing his gi about. A gust of wind blew outwards, messing up everything and creating a far greater hurricane force then what the Panda King could generate in their fight. The Panda King was unfazed, but when Gohan reached back and drew his swords, he became more concerned. Gohan spun the swords he held firmly and took a sword fighting stance, his eyes still locked with the Panda King's.

"If that's the way you want it, FINE! Let's change a few things", Gohan shouted. The Panda King grinned and in turn, powered up even more. His arms were consumed by fire and his eyes turned bright orange, filling with the flames that symbolized the use of his Flame Fu technique. He was confused with hateful power as his energy fluctuated, creating an equally strong wind to Gohan's. it was when the flames engulfed his arms and hands did he take an even more complicated stance to suit his new state.

"We'll see who can change what! I will defeat you Son Gohan!" The Panda King declared. With a loud yell, Gohan flung himself at the Panda King, his aura bursting outwards as he launched himself with a great force. Wind sent dust into the air and in his flight, Gohan held his swords up in a rage, his eyes burning into the Panda King's. He didn't know what has gotten over him, but from what he knew, it was not good. Perhaps his mind was fusing with the depths of the Panda King's mind. He didn't know. But what he truly felt was power, something that he was all too familiar with, as well as the desire to beat his opponent. Nothing would stop him from achieving his goal.

The Panda King stepped forward, throwing a flamed fist directly at his opponent. Gohan responded by throwing a right slash strike with his sword at the incoming attack. The young Saiyan let out a yell in earnest. The two attacks connected with each other, canceling each other out because of the same strengths. All that happened was the sound of a loud thud and slice sound before both fist and sword were brought back to their positions in the stances the two fighters took. Gohan remained floating in mid-air and, following through with his attack, began attacking with both his swords in hand. Slashing out and upward with his left, Gohan attacked by first bringing it back and sending it out. Coming in for another Gohan attacked with a right sword jab then bringing it round and striking outwards with the same side. The Panda King however, with the same look of anger on his face and same ferocity edged in his retaliation parried and knocked away Gohan's attacks, yelling at the top of his lungs. Both combatants exchanged attacks, the Panda King having to back up because of Gohan continuous assault.

Gohan shouted louder, striking out more fiercely. Despite his rage, he was able to keep control over his attacks and paid good attention to the Panda King's use of defense. While jabbing out a couple of strikes with his left, Gohan pulled his right, curved sword over his left shoulder before slashing out, knocking down the panda King's hand with a side sword slap. The Panda King yelled in pain when the blade of Gohan's sword sliced across his left shoulder, forcing him to reach up and grip the wound to ease the pain. Biting back the pain, the Panda King came back at Gohan with an attack of his own, cranking back his left fist and sending it at his hovering opponent. Gohan reacted to this quickly, performing an X block with his sword and stopping the punch. The force was neutralized by an equalized strength put into Gohan's defense and while the Panda King was pulling back his fist, he came out with a right hook. Both Gohan's white, fluctuating aura remained up and so did the Panda King's Flame Fu technique, both of them throwing whatever they had at the other.

Gohan began to back off as the Panda King began sending powerful blows directly towards him, sounds of flame whooshing through the air and heating up the place. With each blow thrown, sparks of flame were released, and wherever they landed, they lit up, causing a fire to burst up and around them. Gohan, unaffected by this continued blocking the Panda King's flame engulfed attacks. Holding up his swords and blocking out the Panda King's attacks from his front, left and right, at the same time, backing up in mid-air. In turn to the Panda King's assault while the fighter was pulling back his left fist, Gohan sent a downward slash at him. The Panda King blocked by raising his right hand above his head, catching the blade with his fore arm before throwing it back, sending a left, swift punch at his opponent, yelling at the top of his lungs. In avoidance, Gohan immediately dropped altitude, dropping to the central platform. All around them, the fires of Panda King's attacks raged on, encircling the battling fighters.

Twirling his swords in both his hands and approaching, Gohan slashed out with vicious attacks. His blades were seen as blurs shooting through the air as he swiped with his left and right, performing strikes that were far too fast for any normal person to see. But whenever he attacked, the Panda King would always avoid his strikes or block them with his flame enhanced arms. The contact of the blade with the panda King's parries sounded a loud slicing noise that echoed all around, just like every other sword would sound like when connecting with another blade. Whatever the case, Gohan followed through his attacks, before moving onto the defensive when the Panda King began attacking him. The fury was seen burning in the Panda's eyes as he struck out with punches and hooks, Gohan forces to hold his swords up to block them. How Gohan managed to keep his defenses stable and up was amazing, but as the fight carried on, Gohan was forced to strengthen himself to his limits.

Spinning his swords while throwing the Panda King's fist off of his sword, Gohan spun around slashing outwards, his blades flashing through the air like a whirlwind. He struck out at his opponent who backed off further to stay out of reach of the young Saiyan's attacks. By the time Gohan had finished, he had struck out with his right, his blade being caught by the Panda King raising his left arm in defense. The blade and arm connected, both opponents gritting their teeth to hold up their limbs. Their arms shook as they retained that position, glaring daggers towards each other. it was obvious they hated each other, but Gohan has come to respect his foe over time, meaning he didn't posses the same amount of hatred the Panda King did. In their staring contest, Gohan spoke up.

"You know how this will end, I'll beat you and in the time that passed between us, you'll continue to hate me as long as you defeat me", Gohan stated. The Panda King growled, keeping his arm up to hold back Gohan's sword. He stared down at the young Saiyan with hatred never seen by Gohan before. It was as if the Panda King was biting back intense waves of bad memories.

"I have never known defeat! I AM UNBEATABLE", the Panda King yelled. Gohan sighed, tired of the Panda King's arrogance. With a swift slice, Gohan ducked Panda King's right hook and shifted to the side, attacking out with another slash attack. The Panda King knocked his sword away and instantly upon this new engagement the two began circulating each other in the centre, surrounded by blazing fire and light. The pair exchanged devastating blows that were all blocked or avoided, the two of them showing skills that any person would desire to posses. Strength matched strength as the two competitors fought evenly. Gohan's strength in his normal form had increased enough for him to match his opponent even at his strongest, meaning the young Saiyan had a distinctive advantage in this battle. If he wasn't careful, he would beat the Panda King too quickly and therefore, kill them both.

Gohan attacked out with ferocity, only to have his attacks blocked and sent away, neutralized by even force. The Panda King, having parried his opponent's attacks, punched out with a small combination, only to have them avoided or blocked away. Sending a right hook at his opponent, Gohan blocked it, sliding his blades across his arm before jabbing out with his right. The Panda King knocked it away by changing position, pivoting and driving his left out and knocking Gohan's blade away while cranking back his right fist. Gohan in turn slashed out with a spin attack, twirling his blade in his hand before bringing his right sword down onto the Panda King's outstretched fist. The Panda King pulled back and leaned back enough to avoid a spinning blade jump attack which Gohan performed by leaping in the air towards his opponent and spinning the swords towards his opponent. When that failed, Gohan sent both his swords in a downward strike at the Panda King standing below him. The Panda King was quicker then he had anticipated and with swiftness unlike any Gohan had encountered with another, the Panda King grabbed the Saiyan's swords with his large hands, keeping Gohan suspended in mid-flight. Growling, Gohan pulled his swords downwards and landed, attempting to yank his swords from the Panda King's grip. But with both fighters possessing even amounts of strength, it seemed impossible for Gohan to pull his swords away. So, he moved for another move.

With the Panda King gripping his swords' blades too tightly with his attention full focused on them, Gohan released his grip and ducked under the Panda King's arms, hammering away at the Panda King's exposed stomach with straight punches. He managed to throw ten punches into his opponent stomach before finishing with a struck out left elbow and a right upper cut into his chin. The Panda King had the wind knocked out of him by the attack and released his hold on the swords, stepping back from the pain and shock. It was the release of Gohan's swords was the young Saiyan able to reacquire them. Gripping them while they were falling, Gohan spun around and struck out at the Panda King again, intent on wounding the Panda. The Panda was quick to react and knocked the blades away before they made contact, attacking with two straight punches. Gohan twirled his swords around both fists as they flew at him one by one, managing to slow them down and knock them away before they hit him. When the Panda King brought back his fists, he held his right hand up and produced a ball of fire, throwing it down in a slam attack at his opponent. Gohan leapt into the air and spun around, avoiding the downward slap. In return, while he was spinning and coming down, Gohan attacked with a right slash attack. The slice was sent across the left arm held up in defense by the Panda King, another slice noise being made.

The Panda King let out a yell and cupped his hands behind him as if powering up a Kamehameha wave. Following up with this position, he threw both hands forward, unleashing a torrent of flames that shot forth from his palms. The blasts missed Gohan when the Saiyan avoided them, the Panda King relinquishing his hold on the blast before returning to the fight. Performing a new move, the Panda King held his left hand up in a chop move and with a growl, sent a massive attack down at Gohan. He yelled at the top of his lungs, "Booming chop", before his attack slammed on the ground, forming a shock wave and creating a crater where his opponent was supposed to be standing. Gohan had managed to leap into the air just in time and flip over his opponent, kicking him in the back and sending the Panda King onto his knees before Gohan landed behind him, turning around and dropping into another fighting stance.

The Panda King, now on his knees let out a inaudible growl of rage and looked over his shoulder, his eyes still burning with fire. He glared hotly at his opponent before slowly standing up. Balling his fiery fists at his sides, the Panda King glared directly at his opponent standing in that fighting stance away from him. Gohan was still surrounded by his white aura. "I see that you have improved greatly since our last fight, Gohan. Unfortunately, my strength has left me, and I am no longer the powerful Panda King you fought before. I let go of my hatred of power long ago…" the Panda King said in disappointment. Gohan stared his opponent down thoughtfully for a moment but then stood up. With his swords still in hand, he stood, still at the ready but dropping his guard a little to allow a more descent mood to fill him. The background and his surroundings were still illuminated by the walls of fire surrounding the two.

Dishing out his last remarks in an attempt to get the Panda King out of this rabbit hole Gohan hit on home. "We both know why you're here: you're fixated on the moment of your greatest defeat. I beat you, and forever you have wondered how it all fell apart", Gohan stated, pointing one of his swords directly at the giant warrior. The Panda King scowled, his eyes watering but still showing the flames of hate buried deep within him. He balled his fists tighter and cracked them where he held them.

"I hate you Gohan Son, you've ruined me…RUINED THE PANDA KING!" the warrior yelled, practically trying to reach the spirits around them. Gohan shook his head, aware that the ghosts of the past would not hear.

"And I have hated you for what you have done, but that doesn't make any of this real. Years have passed and we've both changed, you've said so yourself. Come out of this trance, lets meet each other for who we are today and let go of whatever we felt when this fight occurred", Gohan said. The Panda King let out a vicious growl and took another fighting stance, as if he were preparing to strike out again.

"YOU ARE… correct, forgive me…my mind is not always my own", he suddenly said in a calmer, more eased voice. Dropping out of his transformed state and bowing to his opponent, the Panda King showed the respect any other fighter would show. The fire was gone from his eyes and his hateful energy left him. With his power down, the firewall around the pair vanished, the feeling and sight making Gohan smile. In turn, the young Saiyan pushed his swords back into his scabbards and bowed to his opponent. With that, the world went black and the two were pulled out of the dream time world…

* * *

**Cooper gang:**

_Sly Cooper: 1,500_

_Murray: 1,950_

_Bentley: 325_

_Carmelita Fox: 1,100_

_Videl Satan: 1,200_

_Penelope: 300_

_Guru: 200_

_Gohan: 210,000,000_

_Super Saiyan Gohan: 420,000,000_

_Super Saiyan 2 Gohan: 650,000,000_

_Super Saiyan 3: 2,800,000,000_

**Super villains:**

_Octavio: 2,100_

_Octavio (sonic waves): 1,000_

_Mask of Dark Earth: 5,000_

_Mask of Dark Earth (dingo miner): 300,000,000_

_Black Baron: 1,000_

_Muggshot: 100,000,000_

_Panda King (present): 2,000_

_Panda King (Dream): 150,000,000_

_Panda King (Flame Fu): 210,000,000_

**Other:**

_Octavio's spotlight guards: 250_

_Octavio's pigeon guards: 150_

_Octavio's riot guards: 160_

_Vincinette gang members (each): 1,000_

_Australian Army Mercenary's: 300_

_Miner spotlight guards: 260_

_Miner dingo guards: 200_

_Miner kangaroo guards: 210_

_Tiger guards (Panda King guard): 230_

**Interpol:**

_Lt Gronk: 550_

_Mercenary apes (each): 400_

_Interpol officers: 215_

_Interpol cops: 200_

_Interpol Riot police: 350_

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED…


End file.
